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Abstract

Title: A comparative evaluation of police suicide rate validity.
Author: Violanti JM, Vena JE, Marshall JR, Petralia S
Journal: Suicide Life Threat Behav 26(1):79-85
Year: 1996
Month: None

Abstract: The authors assessed sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of official police suicide rates and compared them to municipal workers. Deaths officially classified as suicide, accidental, and undetermined were submitted to a panel of medical examiners for validation. Six cases originally in the accident and undetermined rubric were reclassified as suicide. Official police suicide rates had less sensitivity (83.3% compared to 92.3%) of actual suicides than municipal worker rates. Police suicide rates also showed a lower negative proportion than municipal worker rates (86.2% compared to 98.7%). A generalizable sensitivity proportion equation for assessing suicide rates in other police groups is presented.