Intervening to prevent suicide at railway locations: findings from a qualitative study with front-line staff and rail commuters

Abstract

Background For every suicide on the British railway network, at least six potential attempts are interrupted by front-line staff or rail commuters. However, the factors that maximise or hinder the likelihood and effectiveness of such interventions are poorly understood. Aims The aim of the current study was to shed light on the experience of intervening to prevent a suicide at a railway location, including how and why people intervene, and their feelings and reflections in the aftermath. Method In-depth interviews were carried out with rail commuters (n = 11) and front-line railway staff (n = 10) who had intervened to stop a suicide by train. Data were analysed thematically. Results Participants had intervened to prevent suicide in several ways, both from afar (e.g. by calling a member of staff) and more directly (verbally or non-verbally), in some cases with no prior training or experience in suicide prevention, and often as a ‘quick, gut reaction’ given the limited time to intervene. In more ‘reasoned’ interventions, poor confidence and concerns around safety were the greatest barriers to action. Although often privy to their final outcome, most participants reflected positively on their intervention/s, stressing the importance of training and teamwork, as well as small talk and non-judgemental listening. Conclusions Suicides in railway environments can present bystanders with little time to intervene. Potential interveners should therefore be resourced as best as possible through clear infrastructure help/emergency points, visibility of station staff and training for gatekeepers.

Factors prompting and deterring suicides on the roads

“…We recruited an opportunity sample of participants for interview from among those who had taken part in a second online survey in 2019. 13 Participants were aged 18 years or over and had stated in the survey that they had felt suicidal at a road or bridge location. We contacted 41 people meeting these criteria who had not previously been interviewed for a different follow-up study.…”

“…Interview participants were recruited following a second survey, also funded by Network Rail on behalf of the rail industry. 13 We thank Dafni Katsampa for her assistance with this project. Finally, we are grateful to Jo Porter for transcribing the interviews.…”

Railway Safety Analysis: Trends and Challenges

“…In Uk, indeed, every year, around 6000 suicides are recorded (Katsampa, 2022). The first way to control and prevent these fatal accidents is modern Rail Network Surveillance; a case study on implementing an automatic sensor that can evaluate possible accidents has reported very good results .…”