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PAPERS: Maggie Mort, Ian Convery, Josephine Baxter, and Cathy Bailey Psychosocial effects of the 2001 UK foot and mouth disease epidemic in a rural population: qualitative diary based study BMJ 2005; 331: 1234 [Abstract] [Full text]

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Some beneficial effects of the 2001 UK foot and mouth epidemic!!

Mokhtar G E K N Isaac   (25 November 2005)

Some beneficial effects of the 2001 UK foot and mouth epidemic!! 25 November 2005
Mokhtar G E K N Isaac, Specialist Registrar Old Age andGeneral Adult Psychiatry East Sussex County Healthcare, eastbourne DGH, BN21 2UD Send response to journal: Re: Some beneficial effects of the 2001 UK foot and mouth epidemic!!	Mort et al show that the 2001 UK foot and mouth disease epidemic was not only an animal disaster but also a human tragedy. It had profound psychosocial effects among a wide range of the rural workers and residents.¹ However the effects of the 2001 foot and mouth crisis were not all negative. In a retrospective study looking at suicide and accidental death by jumping at Beachy Head (Southeast England) 1987- 2001, which I carried out, It was interesting to note that in year 2001 during the foot and mouth crisis, Beachy Head was not accessible by car and there was no single suicide until it was reopened in June 2001. This was the only period within the 15 years study duration when there was no suicides or accidental death for five consecutive months. This finding confirms and strengthens the argument for restricting the availability of means for suicide as a key strategy for prevention of suicide which was confirmed by many other authors.2-6 It was not clear if the decrease in suicide by jumping due to restriction of availability was compensated by increase in other methods of suicide. It would be of great interest to study further if the psychosocial effects caused by the 2001 UK foot and mouth epidemic have lead to any increase in the use of psychiatric health services and/or any increase in suicide in the affected areas. 1. Mort M, Convery I, Baxter J, Bailey C. Psychosocial effects of the 2001 UK foot and mouth disease epidemic in a rural population: qualitative diary based study. BMJ 2005;331:1234-7(26 November). 2. Secretary of State for Health. National Suicide Prevention, Strategy for England. (September 2002) 3. Hawton K, Townsend E, Deeks J, Appleby L, Gunnell D, Bennewith O, Cooper J. Effects of legislation restricting pack sizes of paracetamol and salicylate on self poisoning in the United Kingdom: before and after study. BMJ 2001; 322:1203-7 4. Gunnell D, Hawton K, MurrayV,et al. Use of paractetamol for suicide and non-fatal poisoning in the UK and France: are restrictions of availability justified? Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 1997; 57: 175-179. 5. Cantor C H & Baume PJ M. (1998) Access to methods of suicide: what impact? Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 1998; 32, 1: 8-12 6. Beautrais A L. (2001) Effectiveness of barriers at suicide jumping sites: a case study. Australian and New Zealand journal of Psychiatry 2001; 35, 5: 557. Competing interests: None declared