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Suicide
Serious
about dieing by suicide? Call 911
or Want to
text? Want to
talk? Calling
911 and Talking With Police Web site
referrals: For other If you are in crisis, text
"SOS" to 741741 or call 800.273-TALK (8255).
If you are in extreme crisis, call 911 while you're
looking in the front of your local yellow pages for
the number of the local suicide prevention hotline.
If you can't get through to either of those, click
on Emergency
Numbers. Also visit
www.metanoia.org/suicide
Trigger
Warning The
content displayed on this web page may be
sensitive to some viewers. Viewing is not
advised if you may become easily
triggered. Serious
about dieing by suicide?
Online
Depression Screening
Test Suicide
prevention must be transformed by integrating
injury prevention and mental health perspectives to
develop a mosaic of common risk public health
interventions that address the diversity of
populations and individuals whose mortality and
morbidity contribute to the burdens of suicide and
attempted suicide. Emphasizing distal preventive
interventions, strategies must focus on people and
places—and on related interpersonal factors
and social contexts—to alter the life
trajectories of people before they become suicidal.
Attention also must be paid to those in the middle
years—the age with the greatest overall
burden. We need scientific and social processes
that define priorities and assess their potential
for reducing what has been a steadily increasing
rate of suicide during the past decade. - American
Public Health Association Disclaimer -
Information is designed for educational purposes
only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice
or professional services. Any medical decisions
should be made in conjunction with your physician
or psychiatrist. We will not be liable for any
complications, injuries or other medical accidents
arising from or in connection with, the use of or
reliance upon any information on this web
site.
National Geographic
Documentary 2015 The suicide
rate for men continues to rise as men get older,
and the primary reason men kill themselves is that
they are suffering from depression. What's more, we
now know that men often show different symptoms for
depression than do women. Depressed men are more
likely to "act out" their depression through things
like irritability, anger, anxiety, and
frustration. Something to
think about! 46.3% had an intimate
partner problem Youth 15-19
suicides are on the increase in the US. Suicide is
the second leading cause of death (after
unintentional injury). Two-thirds of all suicides
under 25 were committed with firearms. Suicide is
increasing, particularly for those under
14. Curry County
ranks near the top of 36 Oregon counties in Suicide
death rates 2003-2007 * Last
years national mortality data are
available from the CDC,Source:
www.comedsoc.org/Suicide_-_Oregon_Ranked_10th.htm?m=66&s=520
Teen
students are more likely to take their life
when: Alcohol or
drugs are involved However,
you never know Young people don’t
always know how to get through stressful times.
Adults tend to end their lives because of major
life stressors, but for an adolescent, the breaking
point is often less significant. Risk factors line up like
lights on the street. For a student to go from
thinking about suicide to attempting suicide, all
these lights have to turn green. One light might be
a fight with a parent. Another might be a flunked
test, a breakup, a peer’s suicide. They might
contemplate suicide for months, and then the final
act is often on impulse, if everything falls into
place. Teachers have even about a particular
suicide. "If you would have given me 200 names,
hers would have been at the bottom of the list of
someone who would do this.” Are
You Feeling Suicidal? You're not alone; many of us
have had suicidal thoughts at some point in our
lives. Feeling suicidal is not a character defect,
and it doesn't mean that you are crazy, or weak, or
flawed. It only means that you have more pain than
you can cope with right now. This pain seems
overwhelming and permanent at the moment. But with
time and support, you can overcome your problems
and the pain and suicidal feelings will
pass. I'm having suicidal
thoughts, what do I need to know? No matter how much pain
you’re experiencing right now, you’re not
alone. Some of the finest, most admired, needed,
and talented people have been where you are now.
Many of us have thought about taking our own lives
when we’ve felt overwhelmed by depression and
devoid of all hope. But the pain of depression can
be treated and hope can be renewed. No matter what
your situation, there are people who need you,
places where you can make a difference, and
experiences that can remind you that life is worth
living. It takes real courage to face death and
step back from the brink. You can use that courage
to face life, to learn coping skills for overcoming
depression, and for finding the strength to keep
going. Remember: Why do I feel
suicidal? Many kinds of emotional pain
can lead to thoughts of suicide. The reasons for
this pain are unique to each one of us, and the
ability to cope with the pain differs from person
to person. We are all different. There are,
however, some common causes that may lead us to
experience suicidal thoughts and
feelings. Why suicide can seem like
the only option If you are unable to think of
solutions other than suicide, it is not that other
solutions don’t exist, but rather that you are
currently unable to see them. The intense emotional
pain that you’re experiencing right now can
distort your thinking so it becomes harder to see
possible solutions to problems, or to connect with
those who can offer support. Therapists,
counselors, friends or loved ones can help you to
see solutions that otherwise may not be apparent to
you. Give them a chance to help. A suicidal crisis is
almost always temporary Although it might seem as if
your pain and unhappiness will never end, it is
important to realize that crises are usually
temporary. Solutions are often found, feelings
change, unexpected positive events occur. Remember:
suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary
problem. Give yourself the time necessary for
things to change and the pain to
subside. Even problems that seem
hopeless have solutions Mental health conditions such
as depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder
are all treatable with changes in lifestyle,
therapy, and medication. Most people who seek help
can improve their situation and recover. Even if
you have received treatment for a disorder before,
or if you’ve already made attempts to solve
your problems, know that it’s often necessary
to try different approaches before finding the
right solution or combination of solutions. When
medication is prescribed, for example, finding the
right dosage often requires an ongoing process of
adjustment. Don’t give up before you’ve
found the solution that works for you. Virtually
all problems can be treated or resolved. Take these immediate
actions Step #1: Promise not to do
anything right now Even though you’re in a
lot of pain right now, give yourself some distance
between thoughts and action. Make a promise to
yourself: "I will wait 24 hours and won't do
anything drastic during that time." Or, wait a
week. Thoughts and actions are two
different things—your suicidal thoughts do not
have to become a reality. There’s is no
deadline, no one's pushing you to act on these
thoughts immediately. Wait. Wait and put some
distance between your suicidal thoughts and
suicidal action. Step #2: Avoid drugs and
alcohol Suicidal thoughts can become
even stronger if you have taken drugs or alcohol.
It is important to not use nonprescription drugs or
alcohol when you feel hopeless or are thinking
about suicide. Step #3: Make your home
safe Remove things you could use
to hurt yourself, such as pills, knives, razors, or
firearms. If you are unable to do so, go to a place
where you can feel safe. If you are thinking of
taking an overdose, give your medicines to someone
who can return them to you one day at a time as you
need them. Step #4: Don’t keep
these suicidal feelings to yourself Many of us have found that
the first step to coping with suicidal thoughts and
feelings is to share them with someone we trust. It
may be a family member, friend, therapist, member
of the clergy, teacher, family doctor, coach, or an
experienced counselor at the end of a helpline.
Find someone you trust and let them know how bad
things are. Don’t let fear, shame, or
embarrassment prevent you from seeking help. And if
the first person you reach out to doesn’t seem
to understand, try someone else. Just talking about
how you got to this point in your life can release
a lot of the pressure that’s building up and
help you find a way to cope. Step #5: Take hope - people
DO get through this Even people who feel as badly
as you are feeling now manage to survive these
feelings. Take hope in this. There is a very good
chance that you are going to live through these
feelings, no matter how much self-loathing,
hopelessness, or isolation you are currently
experiencing. Just give yourself the time needed
and don’t try to go it alone. Reaching out for
help Even if it doesn't feel like
it right now, there are many people who want to
support you during this difficult time. Reach out
to someone. Do it now. If you promised yourself 24
hours or a week in step #1 above, use that time to
tell someone what's going on with you. Talk to
someone who won't try to argue about how you feel,
judge you, or tell you to just "snap out of it."
Find someone who will simply listen and be there
for you. It doesn’t matter who it
is, as long as it’s someone you trust and who
is likely to listen with compassion and
acceptance. How to talk to someone
about your suicidal thoughts Even when you’ve decided
who you can trust to talk to, admitting your
suicidal thoughts to another person can be
difficult. Tell the person exactly what
you are telling yourself. If you have a suicide
plan, explain it to them. Phrases such as, ‘I
can't take it anymore’ or ‘I’m
done’ are vague and do not illustrate how
serious things really are. Tell the person you
trust that you are thinking about
suicide. If it is too difficult for
you to talk about, try writing it down and handing
a note to the person you trust. Or send them an
email or text and sit with them while they read
it. What if you don't feel
understood? If the first person you
reached out to doesn’t seem to understand,
tell someone else or call a suicide crisis
helpline. Don’t let a bad experience stop you
from finding someone who can help. If you don’t know who to
turn to: How to cope with suicidal
thoughts Remember that while it may
seem as if these suicidal thoughts and feelings
will never end, this is never a permanent
condition. You WILL feel better again. In the
meantime, there are some ways to help cope with
your suicidal thoughts and feelings. If You Have Suicidal
Thoughts and Feelings Things to do: Things to
avoid: Being alone. Solitude can
make suicidal thoughts even worse. Visit a friend,
or family member, or pick up the phone and call a
crisis helpline. Alcohol and drugs. Drugs and
alcohol can increase depression, hamper your
problem-solving ability, and can make you act
impulsively. Doing things that make you
feel worse. Listening to sad music, looking at
certain photographs, reading old letters, or
visiting a loved one’s grave can all increase
negative feelings. Thinking about suicide and
other negative thoughts. Try not to become
preoccupied with suicidal thoughts as this can make
them even stronger. Don’t think and rethink
negative thoughts. Find a distraction. Giving
yourself a break from suicidal thoughts can help,
even if it’s for a short time. Recovering from suicidal
thoughts Even if your suicidal
thoughts and feelings have subsided, get help for
yourself. Experiencing that sort of emotional pain
is itself a traumatizing experience. Finding a
support group or therapist can be very helpful in
decreasing the chances that you will feel suicidal
again in the future. You can get help and referrals
from your doctor or from the organizations listed
in our Related Links section. 5 steps to
recovery More help for suicide
prevention Suicide
Prevention: How to
Help Someone who is Suicidal and Save a
Life Depression
Symptoms and Warning
Signs:
Recognizing Depression and Getting the Help You
Need Bipolar
Disorder Signs and Symptoms:
Recognizing and Getting Help for Mania and Bipolar
Depression Resources and
references Suicide crisis lines in the
U.S. National
Suicide Prevention Lifeline
– Suicide prevention telephone hotline funded
by the U.S. government. Provides free, 24-hour
assistance. 1-800-273-TALK (8255). (National
Suicide Prevention Lifeline) Crisis
Text Line Similar the
crisis phone lines. 24/7/366, confidential,
national, trained counselors familiar with texting,
imodicans, jargon, etc. Text SOS to 741741 Add up
to 140 characters in each message. IMAlive
– Toll-free telephone number offering 24-hour
suicide crisis support. 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433).
(Kristin Brooks Hope Center) The
Trevor Project –
Crisis intervention and suicide prevention services
for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and
questioning (LGBTQ) youth. Includes a 24/7 hotline:
1-866-488-7386. SAMHSA's
National Helpline
– Free, confidential 24/7 helpline information
service for substance abuse and mental health
treatment referral. 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
(SAHMSA) txt4life
– Suicide prevention resource for residents of
Minnesota. Text the word "LIFE" to 61222 to be
connected to a trained counselor.
(txt4life.org) Suicide crisis lines
worldwide Crisis
Centers in Canada –
Locate suicide crisis centers in Canada by
province. (Canadian Association for Suicide
Prevention) Befrienders
Worldwide –
International suicide prevention organization
connects people to crisis hotlines in their
country. IASP
– Find crisis centers and helplines around the
world. (International Association for Suicide
Prevention). International
Suicide Hotlines
– Find a helpline in different countries
around the world. (Suicide.org) Samaritans
UK – 24-hour
suicide support for people in the UK and Republic
of Ireland (call 116 123). (Samaritans) Lifeline
Australia –
24-hour suicide crisis support service at 13 11 14.
(Lifeline Australia) If you are having suicidal
thoughts: Tips for getting you through when
you’re feeling suicidal, as well as
information about maintaining recovery and healing.
(Metanoia.org) About
Suicide – UK
National Health Service site offering information
for those considering suicide or have attempted
suicide in the past. (Moodjuice) Coping
with suicidal thoughts
– PDF download with information on how to
understand your suicidal feelings and how to
develop a safety plan. (Consortium for
Organizational Mental Health) Copline
Hotline Helps Officers Struggling with Mental
Health 800-267-5463 Starting
the Conversation Check out these shorter clips
that break down the guide into key
sections: Keep these in mind when
you start your conversation: Share our resources on
social media Click the thumbnails below to
download and share: The college guide was
prepared with support from the National Technical
Assistance Network for Children’s Behavioral
Health under contract with the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration, Contract
#HHSS280201500007C. However, the guide contents do
not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, and you
should not assume endorsement by the Federal
Government. Are
You Feeling Suicidal? - Blog Post If you are
feeling suicidal now, please stop long enough to
read this. It will only take about five minutes. I
do not want to talk you out of your bad feelings. I
am not a therapist or other mental health
professional - only someone who knows what it is
like to be in pain. I don’t
know who you are, or why you are reading this page.
I only know that for the moment, you’re
reading it, and that is good. I can assume that you
are here because you are troubled and considering
ending your life. If it were possible, I would
prefer to be there with you at this moment, to sit
with you and talk, face to face and heart to heart.
But since that is not possible, we will have to
make do with this. I have known
a lot of people who have wanted to kill themselves,
including myself, so I have some small idea of what
you might be feeling. I know that you might not be
up to reading a long book, so I am going to keep
this short. While we are together here for the next
five minutes, I have five simple, practical things
I would like to share with you. I won’t argue
with you about whether you should kill yourself.
But I assume that if you are thinking about it, you
feel pretty bad. Well,
you’re still reading, and that’s very
good. I’d like to ask you to stay with me for
the rest of this page. I hope it means that
you’re at least a tiny bit unsure, somewhere
deep inside, about whether or not you really will
end your life. Often people feel that, even in the
deepest darkness of despair. Being unsure about
dying is okay and normal. The fact that you are
still alive at this minute means you are still a
little bit unsure. It means that even while you
want to die, at the same time some part of you
still wants to live. So let’s hang on to that,
and keep going for a few more minutes. Start by
considering this statement: “Suicide is not
chosen; it happens when pain exceeds resources for
coping with pain.” That’s
all it’s about. You are not a bad person, or
crazy, or weak, or flawed, because you feel
suicidal. It doesn’t even mean that you really
want to die - it only means that you have more pain
than you can cope with right now. If I start piling
weights on your shoulders, you will eventually
collapse if I add enough weights... no matter how
much you want to remain standing. (That’s why
it’s useless for someone to say to you,
“cheer up!” - of course you would, if you
could.) Don’t
accept it if someone tells you, “that’s
not enough to be suicidal about”. There are
many kinds of pain that may lead to suicide.
Whether or not the pain is bearable may differ from
person to person. What might be bearable to someone
else, may not be bearable to you. The point at
which the pain becomes unbearable depends on what
kinds of coping resources you have. Individuals
vary greatly in their capacity to withstand
pain. When pain
exceeds pain-coping resources, suicidal feelings
are the result. Suicide is neither wrong nor right;
it is not a defect of character; it is morally
neutral. It is simply an imbalance of pain versus
coping resources. You can
survive suicidal feelings if you do either of two
things: (1) find a way to reduce your pain, or (2)
find a way to increase your coping resources. Both
are possible. Now I want to
tell you five things to think about. 1 The first
thing you need to hear is that people do get
through this -- even people who feel as badly as
you are feeling now. Statistically, there is a very
good chance that you are going to live. I hope that
this information gives you some sense of
hope. 2 The next
thing I want to suggest to you is to give yourself
some distance. Say to yourself, “I will wait
24 hours before I do anything.” Or a week.
Remember that feelings and actions are two
different things - just because you feel like
killing yourself, doesn’t mean that you have
to actually do it right this minute. Put some
distance between your suicidal feelings and
suicidal action. Even if it’s just 24 hours.
You have already done it for 5 minutes, just by
reading this page. You can do it for another 5
minutes by continuing to read this page. Keep
going, and realize that while you still feel
suicidal, you are not, at this moment, acting on
it. That is very encouraging to me, and I hope it
is to you. 3 The third
thing is this: people often turn to suicide because
they are seeking relief from pain. Remember that
relief is a feeling. And you have to be alive to
feel it. You will not feel the relief you so
desperately seek, if you are dead. 4 The fourth
thing is this: some people will react badly to your
suicidal feelings, either because they are
frightened, or angry; they may actually increase
your pain instead of helping you, despite their
intentions, by saying or doing thoughtless things.
You have to understand that their bad reactions are
about their fears, not about you. But there are
people out there who can be with you in this
horrible time, and will not judge you, or argue
with you, or send you to a hospital, or try to talk
you out of how badly you feel. They will simply
care for you. Find one of them. Now. Use your 24
hours, or your week, and tell someone what’s
going on with you. It is okay to ask for help. Try
The Samaritans by phone or e-mail worldwide, or
look in the front of your phone book for a crisis
line), call your family doctor or a
psychotherapist, carefully choose a friend or a
minister or rabbi, someone who is likely to listen.
But don’t give yourself the additional burden
of trying to deal with this alone. Just talking
about how you got to where you are, releases an
awful lot of the pressure, and it might be just the
additional coping resource you need to regain your
balance. 5 The last
thing I want you to know right now is this:
Suicidal feelings are, in and of themselves,
traumatic. After they subside, you need to continue
caring for yourself. Therapy is a really good idea.
So are the various self-help groups available both
in your community and on the Internet and various
online services. Well,
it’s been a few minutes and you’re still
with me. I’m really glad. Since you
have made it this far, you deserve a reward. I
think you should reward yourself by giving yourself
a gift. The gift you will give yourself is a coping
resource. Remember, back up near the top of the
page, I said that the idea is to make sure you have
more coping resources than you have pain. So
let’s give you another coping resource, or
two, or ten...! until they outnumber your sources
of pain. Now, while
this page may have given you some small relief, the
best coping resource we can give you is another
human being to talk with. If you find someone who
wants to listen, and tell them how you are feeling
and how you got to this point, you will have
increased your coping resources by one. Hopefully
the first person you choose won’t be the last.
There are a lot of people out there who really want
to hear from you. It’s time to start looking
around for one of them. Now: I’d
like you to call someone. And while
you’re at it, you can still stay with me for a
bit. Check out these sources of online
help. Additional
things to read at this site: How serious
is our condition? ..."he only took 15 pills, he
wasn’t really serious...” if others are
making you feel like you’re just trying to get
attention... read this. Why is it so
hard for us to recover from being suicidal?
...while most suicidal people recover and go on,
others struggle with suicidal thoughts and feelings
for months or even years. Suicide and
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Recovery from
grief and loss ...has anyone significant in your
life recently died? You would be in good company...
many suicidal people have recently suffered a
loss. The stigma of
suicide that prevents suicidal people from
recovering: we are not only fighting our own pain,
but the pain that others inflict on us... and that
we ourselves add to. Stigma is a huge complicating
factor in suicidal feelings. Resources
about depression ...if you are suicidal, you are
most likely experiencing some form of depression.
This is good news, because depression can be
treated, helping you feel better. When
Someone Feels Suicidal
Do
you know someone who is suicidal... or would you
like to be able to help, if the situation arises?
Learn what to do, so that you can make the
situation better, not worse. How
to Help
What
can I do to help someone who may be suicidal? ...a
helpful guide, includes Suicide Warning
Signs. Suicide
Ideation 16 Suicide
Warning Signs & Behaviors To Recognize These other factors and life
circumstances can have a huge impact on whether
someone decides to follow through with the act. In
most cases, there is some sort of treatment
available that will help improve a person’s
situation. Individuals that are suicidal do not
usually really want to die, rather they see dying
as the only solution to the pain that they are
currently facing. Typically when a person’s
ability to cope with their pain and/or their pain
is reduced, they no longer feel
suicidal. For individuals that are
concerned with the wellbeing of another person who
is suicidal, it is important to understand suicide
warning signs – or behaviors that could signal
that the person is prepared to follow through with
the act. If you recognize any of these warning
signs, be sure to take the person seriously and get
help. Get the person in for therapy and/or if they
pose an immediate threat to their own life, call
the police. Suicide Warning Signs:
List Of Possibilities Below are a list of common
warning signs to look for when a person is
suicidal. Keep in mind that not every suicidal
person will exhibit all of these signs.
Additionally some people may be suicidal and not
exhibit any of these signs. However, usually those
who are close to the suicidal person should be able
to pick up on a few signs. 1. Talking about
suicide: Perhaps the biggest and most obvious
warning sign is when a person talks about suicide.
They may casually bring up the topic, but usually
the individual may talk about wanting to take their
own life. The problem with this is that many people
do not take this talk very seriously or think
it’s just a phase that will eventually pass.
If someone brings up suicide and/or suggests that
they may take their own life, it must be taken very
seriously. 2. Untreated
depression: If a person is clinically
depressed, they may be prone to crying spells, have
difficulty getting out of bed, problems sleeping
and eating, and feel hopeless about their
situation. When a person’s depression is
untreated, they are in a state of pain and
basically shut down. Their thinking becomes clouded
by the depression that they are experiencing and
they may feel as though life is pointless due to
the way that they feel. 3. Giving away
possessions: One of the most obvious warning
signs is when a depressed individual gives away all
of their possessions. Uneducated people may be
confused as to why a person would give away their
property without reason. Usually family and/or
close friends will take note of a person giving all
of their valuable property away. When they confront
the person, they may say that they won’t need
it anymore, etc. Giving things away can be one of
the key signs that a person is planning on
following through with taking their
life. 4. Saying
“goodbye”: In many cases, a person
will visit family and/or other close friends prior
to following through with the act to say
“goodbye.” They want to tie up loose ends
and let the people that are close to them know that
they care about them a lot. Sometimes it may not
seem like a “goodbye,” rather it may seem
as though the person is spending some time with
everyone that is important to them. Watch out for
this type of behavior – the person will
generally pursue most immediate family and friends
for some closure. Keep in mind that saying
“goodbye” could also be over the phone or
via text message. 5. Suicide notes: An
extremely obvious warning sign is that of a suicide
note. In this note a person may write about a
variety of topics including: how much they will
miss their family, that they love their friends,
the pain that they are dealing with, and in some
cases, why they must end their life. If you find a
suicide note, be sure to take it very seriously
because the person may follow through with the act.
Get the person some sort of help and if they are
unwilling, you may need to call 911 with the note
in hand. 6. Alcohol &
drugs: In many cases when a person is suicidal,
they may turn to abusing alcohol or other drugs as
a way to escape these feelings. Although they may
find temporary relief from their pain as a result
of their substance use, in many cases alcohol and
drugs make the situation worse. Many times the
person ends up increasingly depressed following the
usage of substances. It should also be noted that
when a person is serious about following through
with the act of suicide, they may drink, pop pills,
etc. so that they can build up the courage follow
through with it. Be on the lookout for the person
using alcohol, drugs, and/or both more frequently
to the point of abuse – this is a warning
sign. 7. Change to
“calm” demeanor: Often leading up to
a suicide, a person will exhibit a change in mood
from being very sad to a general calmness and/or in
some cases, appearing happy. If you notice that a
person is all of a sudden very calm and was
previously extremely depressed, this may be a red
flag. The calmness and/or happier appearance is
generally due the person being convinced that they
are going to follow through with the
act. 8. Reckless behavior:
When a person has decided to take their own
life, they may engage in more reckless behavior and
decision making. For example, they may speed while
driving, drive through red lights, try illicit
drugs, have unprotected sex, shoplifting, etc. This
reckless behavior is usually due to the person not
caring about their life anymore. In some cases,
this behavior is easily noticed by others close to
the individual who is suicidal. If you notice
someone acting reckless, especially someone who was
previously more reserved, it may be warning
sign. 9. Researching suicide
methods: You may notice on the person’s
internet browser history that they have been
researching painless suicide methods and/or how to
kill themselves. If you see this in the
person’s search history, take it very
seriously and assume that they are going to follow
through with the act. In this case, the person
needs some sort of immediate help and intervention
to help them get out of the pain that they are in.
Help guide the person by getting them in for help
and if they refuse, call the police. 10. Buying suicide
materials: If you catch someone who is severely
depressed and/or suicidal purchasing materials to
help them follow through with the act, this needs
to be addressed. For example, the person may be
visiting pawn shops or auctions looking to buy a
gun. They may also be buying things like rope,
pills, knives, razors, etc. online or at general
stores. Purchasing materials shows that the person
is ready to go through with the act, and now has
the means to carry the act out. 11. Creating a Will: A
person who has plans of suicide may take the steps
to create a will so that their loved ones get their
possessions when they pass. Additionally if a
person already has a will, they may make some
last-minute revisions to it before following
through with the act. If you notice any
preoccupation with the creation of a will
accompanied by the person giving away prized
possessions, this could be a warning
sign. 12. Social withdrawal or
isolation: Another very common warning sign
leading up to suicide is that of social withdrawal.
Many people isolate themselves from friends,
colleagues, and other family members. This
increased social withdrawal can actually make the
person more depressed and suicidal than they
already are. Prior to committing suicide, a person
may gradually withdraw from friendships, social
commitments, and extracurricular or work related
functions. If you notice someone – (especially
someone who was previously very involved) –
withdrawing from these functions, this could be
another indication that the person is
suicidal. 13. Talking about being a
burden: If you notice someone talking about
being a “burden” to others including
friends, family, etc. – this could indicate
that they feel as if they aren’t wanted.
Feelings of being a burden may make the person feel
like an outcast and may contribute to depression
and/or suicidal ideation. When someone frequently
says that they are a burden and/or all that they do
is cause problems for others, this can be a warning
sign. 14. Feeling hopeless:
When someone says that they are in a hopeless
situation or that they have no hope for their
future, this could suggest suicide as well. Besides
feeling hopeless to change their situation, the
person may describe themselves as being
“helpless” and/or “worthless.”
Anytime someone lacks hope to improve their current
situation or future and thinks that they are
worthless, this signifies that they need some sort
of help. If a person feels this way, especially for
a long period of time, they may end up turning to
suicide. 15. Preoccupation with
death: Individuals who are preoccupied with
death and/or think about it often may be
considering suicide. You may notice a person openly
talking about death, researching it, and
considering the afterlife. Although death can be a
topic of normal conversation, the preoccupation
with it is what could suggest that a person may be
suicidal. 16. Previous suicide
attempt: It is estimated that between 20% and
50% of people who take their own life had
previously attempted suicide. If someone you know
has previously attempted suicide and is acting
suicidal, take it very seriously. Statistics show
that if a person has tried it once, they are more
likely to try it again in the future. If you
suspect that something may be in the works, talk to
the person and listen to what’s on their
mind. Other warning signs of
suicide include: Commentary such as “I
want to die” – If you hear anyone say
things like “I wish I was never born,”
“I wish I was dead,” or “I
don’t want to be here anymore,” they are
probably thinking of suicide. Keep this in mind and
either help the person yourself or get them some
sort of help. Rage / revenge seeking –
In some cases a person may be motivated by rage or
threaten to take their life as some sort of
revenge. Although most cases of suicide involve
depression, there are cases involving anger and
rage. Losing interest in life
– People who lose interest in life and/or
previously important things are likely already
going through depression. If the person is not able
to regain some sort of interest, they may be
thinking of suicide. What should you do if you
think someone is suicidal? Get help. The best thing you
can do for someone who is suicidal is to get them
some sort of help. You could get them to agree to
go in for therapy and/or some sort of psychiatric
intervention. If the person refuses to change and
you suspect that they may take their own life, do
not hesitate to call the police. Many people are
afraid to call the police when a person is
suicidal, yet it can be the exact intervention
needed to turn a person’s situation
around. Prior to calling the police
though, talk to the person by speaking up.
Don’t argue with the person, just be
empathetic to their situation and promise that
you’re going to get some sort of help. Once
you ask a few questions about their situation,
determine the degree to which you think the person
will carry out the act. Ask them whether they have
a plan, whether they have materials, if they know
when they would do it, or if they still have the
intention. If the person says that they
have a plan and materials, you may want to recruit
extra help. If you are able to remove potentially
lethal objects from the person’s possession,
take this step. Continue to offer the person help
and support and encourage them to seek treatment.
Also come up with a safety plan or contract to
further minimize their risk of self-harm. It takes
a lot of courage to intervene when someone is
suicidal, but at the end of the day, you may save
someone’s life. Suicide
Rate Has Increased 24 Percent Since 1999 in the
U.S., Says CDC The most dramatic increase
was seen among girls aged 10 to 14; in a decade and
half, the rate of suicide in this age group went up
200 percent. Teen boys had the lowest rate of all
age groups but the second-largest increase, 37
percent. Rates of suicide increased 43
percent between 1999 and 2014 among middle-aged
adults. As seen in many previous reports, men were
much more likely to take their life than women; in
2014, the age-adjusted rate for men was three times
higher than for women. The report also highlights
trends in suicide methods. Men were most likely to
use guns (55.4 percent), while poisoning was the
most commonly chosen method for women (34.1
percent). The number of suicide deaths that
resulted from suffocation also rose in the past 15
years, for both sexes. “If we saw numbers like
this for any other medical condition, there would
be an immediate declaration of a medical emergency.
This study should be a call to action to improve
access to care, reduce stigma and improve treatment
by funding research,” Dr. Jeffrey Borenstein,
president and CEO of the Brain & Behavior
Research Foundation, who was not involved in the
report, said in an email statement. In the U.S., suicide is the
10th leading cause of death. (Heart disease, cancer
and lower respiratory disease are the top three.)
Medical research and improvements in preventive
care have reduced the number of people who die from
physical conditions such as heart attack, stroke
and many types of cancer. However, research on
mental illness continually lags. In 2013, for
example, the National Institutes of Health spent
$5.3 billion on cancer research and just $415
million on depression research. A number of factors may be
driving the rise in suicide. Some experts point to
flawed gun ownership laws. A study published in The
New England Journal of Medicine found that men were
over three times more likely to die by gun suicide
in the 15 states with highest gun ownership.
Experts also suggest the policies surrounding
prescriptions painkillers may be driving the rise
in suicide. And, finally, inadequate social service
and a failing mental health system are said to be
driving the trend. Suicide
note themes and suicide prevention The aim was to determine if
suicide note themes might inform suicide prevention
strategies. METHOD: The themes of 42 suicide
notes from the Northern Ireland Suicide Study
(major psychological autopsy study) were
examined. RESULTS: The commonest themes were
"apology/shame" (74%), "love for those left behind"
(60%), "life too much to bear" (48%), "instructions
regarding practical affairs post-mortem" (36%),
"hopelessness/nothing to live for" (21%) and
"advice for those left behind" (21%). Notes of
suicides with major unipolar depression were more
likely than notes of suicides without major
unipolar depression to contain the themes
"instructions regarding practical affairs
post-mortem" (67% versus 19%, p = 0.005) and
"hopelessness/nothing to live for" (40% versus 11%,
p = 0.049). Notes of suicides with a previous
history of deliberate self-harm were less likely
than notes of suicides without a history of
deliberate self-harm to contain the theme
"apology/shame" (58% versus 87%, p = 0.04). Notes
of elderly suicides were more likely than
non-elderly notes to contain the theme "burden to
others" (40% versus 3%, p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: The fact that three quarters
of suicide notes contained the theme
"apology/shame" suggests that the deceased may have
welcomed alternative solutions for their
predicaments. Scrutiny of suicide note themes in
the light of previous research findings suggests
that cognitive therapy techniques, especially
problem solving, may have an important role to play
in suicide prevention and that potential major
unipolar depressive (possibly less impulsive)
suicides, in particular, may provide fertile ground
for therapeutic intervention (physical and
psychological). Ideally all primary care doctors
and mental health professionals working with
(potentially) suicidal people should be familiar
with basic cognitive therapy techniques, especially
problem solving skills training. Former
NFL QB shoots himself in apparent suicide
attempt Authorities were called to a
motel in Calabasas, Calf, where Kramer had been
staying. At first, it was described as a non
life-threatening injury. However, Kramer’s
sister told his former-wife that it was more
serious. Kramer is from California who
played college ball at N.C. State. He is best known
for his stint with the Lions where he led the 1991
team to a 12-4 record and a playoff win that
season. He then went on to play for the Bears from
1994-1998 where he threw for over 3,000 yards and
29 touchdowns in 1995. He ended his NFL career with
the San Diego Chargers in 1999. Kramer finished his
career with over 15,000 passing yards and 92
touchdowns. In 2011, Kramer’s
18-year old son, Griffen, died of a drug overdose.
He and his former-wife have another son, Dillon,
who is 17. For many
people who feel suicidal, there seems to be no
other way out. Death describes their world at that
moment and the strength of their suicidal feelings
should not be underestimated – they are real
and powerful and immediate. There are no magic
cures. But it is also true that: Suicide is often a
permanent solution to a temporary
problem. When we are
depressed, we tend to see things through the very
narrow perspective of the present moment. A week or
a month later, things may look completely
different. Most people
who once thought about killing themselves are now
glad to be alive. They say they didn’t want to
end their lives – they just wanted to stop the
pain. The most
important step is to talk to someone. People who
feel suicidal should not try to cope alone. They
should seek help NOW. Talk to family or friends.
Just talking to a family member or a friend or a
colleague can bring huge relief. Talk to a
befriender. Some people cannot talk to family or
friends. Some find it easier to talk to a stranger.
There are befriending centers all over the world,
with volunteers who have been trained to listen. If
calling is too difficult, the person can send an
email. Talk to a
doctor. If someone is going through a longer period
of feeling low or suicidal, he or she may be
suffering from clinical depression. This is a
medical condition caused by a chemical imbalance,
and can usually be treated by a doctor through the
prescription of drugs and/or a referral to
therapy. However, some
people cannot talk to family or friends. Some find
it easier to talk to a stranger. There are
befriending centers all over the world, with
volunteers who have been trained to listen. If
calling is too difficult, the person can send an
email. They should seek help NOW Time is an
important factor in ‘moving on’, but what
happens in that time also matters. When someone is
feeling suicidal, they should talk about their
feelings immediately. The strongest
and most disturbing signs are verbal – ‘I
can’t go on,’ ‘Nothing matters any
more’ or even ‘I’m thinking of
ending it all.’ Such remarks should always be
taken seriously. Of course, in most cases these
situations do not lead to suicide. But, generally,
the more signs a person displays, the higher the
risk of suicide. Situations Behaviors Physical
Changes Thoughts and
Emotions If you are
worried about someone you know, make sure you read
the following How To Help Someone Else. Listening
– really listening – is not easy. We must
control the urge to say something – to make a
comment, add to a story or offer advice. We need to
listen not just to the facts that the person is
telling us but to the feelings that lie behind
them. We need to understand things from their
perspective, not ours. Here are some
points to remember if you are helping a person who
feels suicidal. What do
people who feel suicidal not want? So, if you
are concerned that someone you know may be thinking
of suicide, you can help. Remember, as a helper, do
not promise to do anything you do not want to do or
that you cannot do. First of
all... If the person
is actively suicidal, get help immediately. Call
your local crisis service or the police, or take
the person to the emergency room of your local
hospital. Do not leave the person alone. If the person
has attempted suicide and needs medical attention,
call 9-1-1 or your local emergency services
number. The following
are suggestions for helping someone who is
suicidal: Ask the
person - "Are you thinking of suicide?" Ask them if
they have a plan and if they have the means. Asking
someone if they are suicidal will not make them
suicidal. Most likely they will be relieved that
you have asked. Experts believe that most people
are ambivalent about their wish to die. Listen
actively to what the person is saying to you.
Remain calm and do not judge what you are being
told. Do not advise the person not to feel the way
they are. Reassure the
person that there is help for their problems and
reassure them that they are not "bad" or "stupid"
because they are thinking about suicide. Help the
person break down their problem(s) into more
manageable pieces. It is easier to deal with one
problem at a time. Emphasize
that there are ways other than suicide to solve
problems. Help the person to explore these options,
for example, ask them what else they could do to
change their situation. Offer to
investigate counselling services. Do not agree
to keep the person's suicidal thoughts or plans a
secret. Helping someone who is suicidal can be very
stressful. Get help - ask family members and
friends for their assistance and to share the
responsibility. Suggest that
the person see a doctor for a complete physical.
Although there are many things that family and
friends can do to help, there may be underlying
medical problems that require professional
intervention. Your doctor can also refer patients
to a psychiatrist, if necessary. Try to get
the person to see a trained counselor. Do not be
surprised if the person refuses to go to a
counselor - but be persistent. There are many types
of caregivers for the suicidal. If the person will
not go to a psychologist, or a psychiatrist,
suggest, for example, they talk to a clergyperson,
a guidance counselor or a teacher. We hear about gun violence in
blips: The latest mass shooting or grisly homicide
brings national attention and calls to action, and
then the issue falls under the radar. It's easy to
forget that two-thirds of gun deaths aren't
high-profile homicides, but suicides—happening
quietly, at a rate of one every 25
minutes. A new report by the Brady
Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a gun safety
advocacy group, delivers sobering stats based on
data from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention and academic journal
articles—perhaps the most eye-opening being
that keeping a firearm at home increases the risk
of suicide by three times. A whopping 82 percent of
teens who commit suicide with a gun are using a
family member's firearm. Guns are a particularly
effective means of suicide precisely because they
are so lethal: Of those who attempt suicide by
firearm, nine in 10 succeed. By contrast, only one
in 50 overdose attempts result in death. The
lethality is compounded by impulsivity: The
majority of suicide attempts occur less than an
hour after the decision is made to commit
suicide. One common argument of the
gun lobby is that suicidal individuals will find a
way to take their lives—if they don't die by
gun, they'll do it by some other means. But the
reality is that 90 percent of those who fail in a
suicide attempt do not end up dying by suicide.
With guns, though, not many get a second
chance. Fact:
Eight out of ten suicides have spoken about their
intent before killing themselves. Myth:
People who kill themselves really want to
die. Fact:
Most people who commit suicide are confused
about whether or not they want to live or die.
Suicide is often a cry for help that ends in
tragedy. Myth:
Once the depression seems to be lifting, would-be
suicides are out of danger. Fact:
At such a time, they are most vulnerable to a
reversal: something can go wrong to make the person
even worse than before. The person's apparent calm
may be due to having already decided on
suicide. Myth:
When people talk about suicide, you should get
their minds off it, and change the
subject. Fact:
Take them seriously; listen with care; give
them the chance to express themselves; offer
whatever help you can. Mental
health problems rising among college students "At my high points I was
working several jobs and internships — I could
take on the world," said Ebeling, 24, who graduated
from Ramapo College of New Jersey last
December. "But then I would have
extreme downs and want to do nothing," she told NBC
News. "All I wanted to do was sleep. I screwed up
in school and at work, I was crying and feeling
suicidal." More than 75 percent of all
mental health conditions begin before the age of
24, according
to the National Alliance on Mental
Illness, which is why
college is such a critical time. Ebeling resisted getting
therapy, but eventually got a diagnosis of bipolar
II disorder from a psychiatrist associated with
Ramapo's counseling office. "Then everything fell into
place," said Ebeling, who is doing well on
medication today. RELATED:Young
Adults and Mental Health: A Guide for
Parents College counselors are seeing
a record number of students like Ebeling, who are
dealing with a variety of mental health problems,
from depression and anxiety, to more serious
psychiatric disorders. "What has increased over the
past five years is threat-to-self characteristics,
including serious suicidal thoughts and
self-injurious behaviors," said Ashley Stauffer,
project manager for the Center for Collegiate
Mental Health at Penn State University. According
to its data,
collected from 139 institutions, 26 percent of
students who sought help said they had
intentionally hurt themselves; 33.2 percent had
considered suicide, numbers higher than the
previous year. And according to the
2016
UCLA Higher Education Research Institute
survey of freshmen,
nearly 12 percent say they are "frequently"
depressed. At Ramapo College, counselors
are seeing everything from transition adjustment to
more serious psychiatric disorders, according to
Judith Green, director of the campus' Center for
Health & Counseling Services. Being away from home for the
first time, access to alcohol and drugs and the
rigorous demands of academic life can all lead to
anxiety and depression. Millennials, in particular,
have been more vulnerable to the stressors of
college life, Green told NBC News. Millennials tend to hold on
to negative emotions, which can lead to
self-injury, she said. It's also the first
generation that will not likely do as well
financially as their parents. "Students are working so much
more to contribute and pay for college," said
Green. "Seniors don't have jobs lined up
yet." 'I dragged myself to the
counseling center' Like Ebeling, many students
often experience mental illness breaks in
college. She had been in grief
counseling after the death of her father at age 8,
and even had therapy — but refused medication
— during her teen years. "I thought that it was
weakness — 'why can't I just snap out of it?'"
she said. "It became apparent it just wasn't that
easy." She hit a deep low her senior
year. "I was a crazy
over-achiever," she said. "I got involved in all
the clubs and extracurricular activities." But when
her mood dropped, she said, "I couldn't do
anything, but had all those
responsibilities." "In one class I panicked so
much, I freaked out," said Ebeling. "I dragged
myself to the counseling center." The resources are available,
according to Green, who first counseled
Ebeling. Ramapo reaches out to
freshman and their parents at orientation and
reinforces the availability of mental health
resources throughout the year. The college also
maintains an online anonymous psychological
screening tool so students can see if therapy might
be helpful. RELATED:Meditation
May Help Students Combat High Levels of Stress,
Depression "Students are electronically
savvy, so we meet them where they are," said
Green. They also sponsor wellness
fairs so students learn about nutrition, exercise
and even financial well-being — "the whole
gamut to keep themselves well," she
said. As for Ebeling, she took her
experience and devoted her senior capstone project
to learn more about mental illness. "It was
therapeutic." "Kids going to college need
to realize it's not a weakness," she said. "They
shouldn't be afraid to get help." "I try to be open and talk
about it with friends and family," said Ebeling.
"Don't shy away from it. It needs to be addressed.
Let go of the stigma." Ebeling had good
communication with her mother regarding her mental
health diagnosis, but said other students should
consider sharing their medical information if they
"feel they have a good support system. "I have friends who tried to
discuss mental health issues with family members
and completely got brushed off, which can be
crushing and damaging," she said. "I think both students and
parents need to keep an open mind, but at the end
the of the day, those who are seeking help need to
realize that they are doing this for themselves and
no one else, and they need to put themselves first
and foremost no matter what." Tips for Parents
from the National Association of Mental
Illness: Source:
www.aol.com/article/news/2017/06/28/mental-health-problems-rising-among-college-students/23007047/
Young
Adults and Mental Health: A Guide for Parents Transitions are often a
challenging time for many families. Whether
it’s going to middle school, going into high
school, going to college, or entering the workforce
full-time, any major life change comes with mixed
emotions. You may be excited one minute and scared
or stressed the next. That’s completely
normal, and normal for your kids, too. When young
adults leave high school or college, the future can
seem overwhelming. As a parent, your role in
your kids’ lives change as they grow up, but
maintaining an open line of communication can be
beneficial for everyone. One of those benefits is
on mental health. Talking with your kids about
mental health can take many shapes and forms, but
with a few questions in mind, and an open dialogue,
you can help major transitions run a bit
smoother. What Is
“Normal?” Clinical psychologist Dr.
Bobbi Wegner has parents who often come to her with
concerns about their student’s transition into
or out of college. She says that many kids go
through adjustment issues, and it’s completely
normal. But often young adults and their parents
aren’t expecting these feelings to come up, so
when they do, there is a heightened sense of
worry. “Anxiety and depression
is the common cold of mental health, but people
don’t talk a lot about it,” Wegner says.
“As a parent, a part of helping is normalizing
anxiety, and feeling low or depression can be a
‘normal’ part of the
experience.” “Normal”
difficulties during transition times include
increased anxiety, depression, and relationship
issues. Young adults can have a hard time making
new friends in the work place or at school and
start to feel lonely or isolated. Increased
workload and responsibilities can contribute to
stress. Raising their awareness that those feelings
are valid can go a long way. Be Prepared UCLA’s Executive
Director of Counseling and Psychological Services
Dr. Nicole Presley Green’s biggest advice to
parents is to be proactive before there is a
problem. Knowing what resources are available on
campus, like student counseling centers, is a great
step to being prepared. Similarly, making sure your
young adult knows about their insurance information
can help prepare them should they need to seek care
at any point. Related: Guide
to Young Adult Physical Health Care Being prepared also means
maintaining an open line of communication between
you and your young adult. That doesn’t mean
you have to call them every few hours, but simply
letting them know they can call you or reach out
whenever they need to. Keep in mind that
you’ve been with your kid for most of their
life; you know what is normal for them. “It’s a really
challenging time for parents. They don’t know
how much to let them flourish and flounder, and how
much to get involved,” Dr. Green says.
“But they do know when their kid is really
reaching a point where they need
help.” Know the Red
Flags As a parent, hearing that
it’s “normal” might not help when
you’re worried whether or not your kid is able
to handle their new world. Fortunately, there are
ways for you to help identify whether or not
something more serious is going on. Dr. Wegner recommends keeping
an eye out for any major changes in behavior in
three categories she calls the “holy trilogy
of health”:sleeping, eating, and energy. Any
major shift in any of those areas (eating much
more, eating much less, sleeping much more,
sleeping much less, etc.) can be a red flag and a
time for you to get curious and ask more about what
is going on with your kid. Psychologist Dr. Michele
Borba recommends keeping a few questions in mind
when you’re talking and listening with your
young adult. Ask yourself: If you answer “yes”
to these questions, it’s likely your teen is
adjusting well, even if they say they’re
stressed or sad. If they are showing no
connections, or no interest in making new friends
or getting involved, Dr. Borba says that is a
“red flag” that there could be trouble
ahead. Acknowledge, Empathize,
and Be Intentional Ways to support your young
adult are to acknowledge their feelings, empathize
with them, and be intentional about the questions
you ask. Often, when young adults reach out to
parents in times of struggle, they’re looking
for support or a shoulder to cry on. Dismissing
their feelings or trying to fix their problems for
them is a surefire way to end the conversation
completely. For example, if your teen is
feeling anxious or depressed, don’t dismiss
those feelings by saying “That’s not
something to be stressed about,” or
“Everyone feels like that.” Similarly,
trying to fix the problem also isn’t the
answer. If your kid says they “don’t have
any friends” don’t point out all the
friends they had in high school, or their new
coworker. It may be that they mean they don’t
have the same strong friendships they used to have,
which is something that can make them feel isolated
or lonely. Instead, be intentional in
your responses and turn the question or concern
back to them. Dr. Wegner says this is a common
tactic used by therapists to validate a
patient’s concern, and empower them to find
the answers themselves. You could try
asking: Simply by listening, and
allowing your young adult to come to conclusions on
their own, you’re empowering them to
understand more about their feelings and address
them. Let Your Kids Know
It’s O.K. to Ask for Help Asking for help, especially
for mental health, is often stigmatized in America.
But it doesn’t have to be. For college
students, most counseling centers are a free
resource that anyone can use. For young adults not
enrolled in college, most health insurance plans
also offer mental health coverage. So visits to a
therapist or psychiatrist are often covered in some
form. And as far as that stigma, Dr. Wegner says
there shouldn’t be shame in asking for help if
you need it, even if the situation isn’t
dire. “People think it’s
something you should only do if you’re
clinically depressed and that’s not
true,” Wegner says. “You don’t have
to make a commitment, and you don’t have to go
forever. Sometimes just a few sessions and then
moving on can be helpful.” Dr. Green does a lot of
outreach on campus to try and decrease stigma
associated with getting help. In some cases, that
can be recommending parents encourage students to
seek help in any way that seems accessible to them.
For example, if therapy seems to scary, parents can
suggest their students to talk with their RA as a
first step. When to Get Professional
Help First and foremost, trust
your gut instinct. Dr. Green reminds parents that
“they know their kid the best.” Any
drastic difference in behavior or temperament from
what is normal for your young adult can be a sign
that something more serious is
happening. If your young adult talks
about self-harm, suicide, or suicidal thoughts, do
not avoid it. Try to find out if they mean they
want to hurt themselves right now and, if so, seek
immediate help by calling 9-1-1. If your young adult is
drinking in excess or using other drugs to the
point it is interfering with their ability to
function normally, that’s also a time to seek
professional help. For a small subset of the
population that has psychotic disorders, young
adulthood is often when symptoms start showing up.
If your young adult is behaving erratically, having
hallucinations, staying awake for extended periods
of time, or sleeping for extend periods of time,
seek professional help. For more help, try any of
these resources: National Suicide Prevention
Life Line—call 1-800-273-8255 or visit
suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ Crisis Text Line – Text
“Connect” to 741741 or visit
www.crisistextline.org
Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration Treatment Locator
– call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or visit:
findtreatment.samhsa.gov "So
You Wanna Kill Yourself? Gays and
Suicide." "Far
more women suffer from depression that men do, so
it seems odd that women would commit suicide at
only one-fourth the rate of men. The key difference
between the two sexes may be that women talk out
their problems. George E. Murphy, an emeritus
professor of psychiatry at Washington University
School of Medicine in St. Louis, says that women
may be protected because they are more likely to
consider the consequences of suicide on family
members or others. Women also approach personal
problems differently than men and more often seek
help long before they reach the point of
considering suicide. 'As a result, women get better
treatment for their depressions,' Murphy says. To
reduce the rate of suicide in men, Murphy suggests
that physicians should be alert for risk factors in
men and refer them into treatment. Writing in the
Journal of Comprehensive Psychiatry, he says
that identifying men at risk require mental health
professionals to recognize that depressed men may
understate emotional distress or difficulty with
their problems." Black Men, 3/99.
Source: HealthScout, www.healthscout.com
It's
important for people with suicidal feelings to let
themselves be assisted in overcoming deep
depression. It's also a good idea to talk about
your feelings with friends. No man is an island and
there's nothing wrong with leaning on people who
love you in times of need. See Suicide
Prevention Services available locally. Dial 411 for
your city's Suicide Prevention Hotline, or try your
local Gay & Lesbian Center, which offers
referrals for counseling, domestic violence and
suicide prevention. 'Men were
nearly 4.8 times as likely to commit suicide as
women,' the researcher writes in the March 15th
issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community
Health. Whites were at greater risk of suicide than
African Americans, and individuals with household
incomes between $5,000 and $9,999 were more likely
to commit suicide than others. Suicide rates were
also higher in older age groups, especially those
aged 65 and older, and in residents of Western
states. In addition,
divorce or marital separation more than doubled the
risk of suicide in men, whereas in women, marital
status was unrelated to suicide. Kposowa suspects
that this difference is related to the social
networks men and women form outside their
marriages, which may be stronger or more meaningful
in women than in men. 'Women have better ways of
communicating,' Kposowa told Reuters Health in an
interview. 'They may have more social support
networks, friends and relatives that they talk to,
whereas men don't have social support
networks.' Primary care
physicians should educate men about the risk of
suicide following a divorce, and encourage them to
seek counseling or group therapy, Kposowa added.
Parents can also play an important role in
addressing the divorce-suicide link in men, he
believes. Raising boys to 'be themselves, talk
about their problems' and express their emotions
can help reduce the cultural constraints on men to
hold back their feelings, he suggested. Ketamine, a commonly used
anesthetic, has shown rapid therapeutic effects as
an antidepressant for those with depression,
especially when the depression is resistant to
treatment. The antidepressant effect is rapid, and
many have wondered if Ketamine could have the same
effect specifically for suicidal behavior. This has
yet to be examined in larger studies over an
extended period of time. Additional information is
needed regarding whether it is feasible to use
Ketamine for immediate or even longer standing
suicide risk. It will also be important to
determine the best dosage and means of
administration for it to be considered an effective
form of medical intervention for highly suicidal
individuals. The
Question Can Ketamine rapidly reduce
suicidal ideation? The Study Dr. James Murrough, an
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York,
conducted a randomized clinical trial in which the
treating clinician and participant did not know if
they were receiving Ketamine or Midazolam, a
calming sedative medication typically used before
medical procedures. The treatment group received a
single IV infusion of Ketamine. This study is
unique in that the control group was receiving an
active intervention, rather than a non-effective,
non-active placebo. Participants included 24
people who were being treated as inpatients and
outpatients at Mount Sinai Hospital with a range of
primary mood disorders and high levels of suicidal
ideation (SI). Those excluded from the study
because of potential negative consequences of
ketamine were people with a lifetime history of
schizophrenia, primary psychotic disorders or
symptoms, unstable medical illnesses or clinically
significant abnormal laboratory findings; those
screening positive for drug use upon admission or
drug use or abuse within one month preceding their
admission; pregnant or breastfeeding women; and
women who planned to become pregnant. Depression, suicidal ideation
and side effects were measured prior to treatment
and at 24hr, 48hr, 72hr, and one week after
treatment. Suicidal ideation was measured using two
measurement tools, the Beck Scale for Suicidal
Ideation (BSI) and the Montgomery-Asberg Depression
Rating Scale (MADRS). The Results Both groups experienced
reduced suicidal ideation after treatment. At the
24hr post measurement, the Beck Scale for Suicidal
Ideation (BSI) showed no significant difference
between the Ketamine and Midazolam group. However,
reduced effects for suicidal ideation were
significant at 48 hours following treatment
intervention. Those receiving Ketamine treatment
showed significantly lower suicidal ideation than
those who received the control
treatment. On the other hand, MADRS-SI,
a measurement tool for depression and suicidal
ideation, showed a marked difference between the
two treatment groups at 24hr and 48hr, with the
Ketamine group showing lower rates of depression
and suicidal ideation than the Midazolam group. By
72 hours there was no longer a difference between
groups. This study is one of the
first demonstrations showing the rapid therapeutic
effects of Ketamine as an intervention for those
with increased suicidal ideation and suicidal
behavior. Results are promising regarding the rapid
effects of Ketamine for reducing depression and
suicidal ideation. The
Takeaway Although the effects of
Ketamine are not known over extended periods of
time, this novel medical intervention may have a
major impact saving lives by disrupting the
suicidal crisis. Grant Related
Publications Murrough, James W., and
Dennis S. Charney. “Is there anything really
novel on the antidepressant horizon?.” Current
psychiatry reports 14.6 (2012): 643-649. Murrough, J. W., et al.
“Ketamine for rapid reduction of suicidal
ideation: a randomized controlled trial.”
Psychological medicine 45.16 (2015):
3571-3580. Lapidus, K. A., Soleimani,
L., & Murrough, J. W. (2013). Novel
glutamatergic drugs for the treatment of mood
disorders. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat, 9,
1101-1112. Murrough, J. W., &
Charney, D. S. (2012). Is there anything really
novel on the antidepressant horizon?. Current
psychiatry reports, 14(6), 643-649. Soleimani, L., Welch, A.,
& Murrough, J. W. (2015). Does ketamine have
rapid anti-suicidal ideation effects?. Current
treatment options in psychiatry, 2(4),
383-393. Costi, S., Van Dam, N. T.,
& Murrough, J. W. (2015). Current Status of
Ketamine and Related Therapies for Mood and Anxiety
Disorders. Current behavioral neuroscience reports,
2(4), 216-225. Country Australia Austria Belarus Bulgaria Canada Czech
Rep Estonia Finland Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Israel Italy Japan Latvia Lithuania Netherlands New
Zealand Norway Poland Portugal Russian
Fed Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Ukraine UK US Computerized
death-certificate data and external cause-of-injury
codes (E-codes) were used to identify all suicides
(E950-E959) among Washington residents. Population
data were derived from the 1980 and 1990 U.S.
census and from intercensal and postcensal
estimates from the Office of Management of
Washington state. Contiguous age categories with
similar death rates were grouped, and patterns
within age groups were examined. The average
1-year change in mortality was estimated using
negative binomial regression in models that
accounted for changes in the age, sex distribution,
and size of the population. This regression method
is useful for analyzing count data that do not meet
the restrictive assumptions of Poisson models (2).
Results are expressed as the overall percentage
change in mortality from 1980 to 1995. Trends are
presented graphically using robust locally weighted
regression (3). Because suicide methods might
change over time, trends in firearm-related
suicides were compared with those in non
firearm-related suicides. During
1980-1995, a total of 10,650 suicides occurred in
Washington, representing an overall average rate of
14.2 per 100,000 population. The most common method
of suicide was use of firearms (E950.0-E955.4)
(56%), followed by poisoning (E950-E954) (23%),
suffocation (E953) (13%), and other or unspecified
means (8%). Most (78%) suicides occurred among
males. Although the overall average rate of suicide
in the total population remained relatively
constant during the 16-year period, the rate of
firearm-related suicide increased 8% (p=0.2), and
the rate of suicide by other means decreased 15% (p
less than 0.01) (Table 1). Changes in the overall
suicide rate varied by age, increasing by 127% for
children aged 5-14 years (all except one suicide in
this age group during 1980-1995 occurred among
children aged 10-14 years); by 16% for persons aged
15-24 years; and by 42% for persons aged greater
than or equal to 75 years (Figure 1). For persons
aged 25-74 years, the rate declined substantially.
The increase for children aged 5-14 years primarily
reflected an increase in non firearm-related
suicide, the increase for persons aged 15-24 years
and greater than or equal to 75 years reflected an
increase in firearm-related suicide, and the
decrease for persons aged 25-74 years reflected a
decrease in both firearm-related and non
firearm-related suicide (Figure 2). Reported by: M
LeMier, MPH, D Keck, Injury Prevention Program,
Washington Dept of Health; P Cummings, MD,
Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center,
Seattle. Div of Violence Prevention, National
Center for Injury Prevention and Control,
CDC. Editorial
Note: The analysis by WDOH illustrates the
usefulness of death-certificate data in assessing
trends in suicide. Although overall suicide rates
remained stable among residents of Washington
during 1980-1995, age-specific analyses indicate
that the rate of non firearm-related suicide
increased significantly for children aged 5-14
years, and the rate of firearm-related suicide
increased for persons aged 15-24 years and the
elderly (aged greater than or equal to 75 years).
Suicide rates for persons aged 25-74 years
declined, reflecting a decrease in both
firearm-related and non firearm-related suicide.
These findings can assist in identifying risk
factors for suicide and high-risk groups; such
analyses should be considered by other state and
local health departments to better understand local
suicide trends and guide prevention
efforts. The high
proportion of firearm-related suicides in
Washington is consistent with national patterns
during the 1980s and 1990s (4). The increases in
Washington in the overall rates of suicide for
youths and for the elderly and in the rate of
firearm-related suicide for persons aged greater
than or equal to 75 years also were consistent with
national trends. Although reasons for these
increasing trends in suicide are unknown, potential
explanations include changes in the prevalence of
depression, the use of more lethal methods, and
changes in societal attitudes toward suicide among
the elderly. The findings
in this analysis may have underestimated the true
rate of suicide. The intent of some persons who
commit suicide may be unknown or unrecognized;
therefore, their deaths may not be reported as
suicides. The magnitude of underreporting
associated with these misclassification errors is
unknown. In contrast, a previous report indicated
that coding a non suicide death as a suicide
probably is uncommon; in that study, 90% of deaths
coded as suicides were coded correctly
(5). Routine
collection of the circumstances of injury events
may assist in more accurate coding of suicides on
death certificates and in developing effective
prevention strategies. In Washington, efforts to
improve basic injury data collection include the
reporting of firearm injury data to WDOH by all
hospitals (admissions and emergency department
visits), coroners, and medical examiners. In
addition, WDOH is collecting information about the
intent and circumstances of shootings and the types
of firearms involved. An important
prevention measure for persons who are suicidal is
to restrict access to highly lethal methods of
suicide (6). For example, measures associated with
reductions in suicide rates without compensatory
increases in the use of other methods include
removal of carbon monoxide from domestic gas (7),
limiting the size of prescriptions to barbiturates
and other drugs commonly used in self-poisonings
(8), and restricting access to handguns (9). In
addition to means restrictions, other interventions
for reducing the risk for suicide include 1)
training of clergy, tribal leaders, school
personnel, healthcare professionals, and others who
have contact with persons who may be contemplating
suicide to recognize persons at risk for suicide
and refer them for appropriate counseling; 2)
educating the general public about warning signs
for suicide and opportunities to seek help; 3)
implementing screening programs for identifying and
referring persons at highest risk for suicide; 4)
improving access to or promoting crisis centers,
hotlines, and peer support groups (including family
and friends) for high-risk persons; and 5)
implementing post-suicide actions to reduce the
probability of cluster suicides (5). The
effectiveness of each of these suicide-prevention
strategies requires further assessment. WDOH, in
collaboration with the University of Washington
School of Nursing, has developed a Youth Suicide
Prevention Plan (10) that includes a public
education campaign to heighten awareness among
adults about the increasing problem of youth
suicide and to teach adults how to recognize common
suicide warning signs and how to respond to youth
who exhibit these signs. In addition, the program
provides adults working with high-risk youth with
information about effective screening and
crisis-intervention strategies. The goals of this
plan are to 1) prevent both fatal and nonfatal
suicide behaviors among youth; 2) reduce the impact
of suicide and suicidal behaviors on individuals,
families, and communities; and 3) improve access to
and availability of appropriate prevention services
for at-risk persons and groups. Although this
program is designed to prevent suicide among
youths, some elements of the program may be useful
to prevent suicide among the elderly. References Mother
hopes to save lives by sharing story of son who
took his own life Jason Arkin's mom, Dr. Karen
Arkin, says he was a good kid. He was a best friend
to his sister, Jennifer. He was always a
perfectionist. Jason would go on to become an Eagle
Scout and a National Merit Scholar at Blue Valley
Northwest High School. "People would describe him as
a perfect kid. I hate that word perfect. I think
it's a terrible word," said Dr. Arkin. She says her son's
perfectionism and his chronic depression were a
lethal combination. At age 12, Jason heard a
presentation about a young man's depression and
suicide. "And Jason said, 'Mom, I've
always been like that guy, and my heart just
shattered,'" recalled Dr. Arkin. She and her husband, Dr.
Steven Arkin, are neurologists with Saint Luke's
Health System. They got their son treatment, but
she says after he turned 18 and went to
Northwestern University, they couldn't force him to
get treatment. "For someone who's depressed,
especially a male, they just don't ask for help.
They really don't," she said. Dr. Arkin says her son was in
a highly competitive electrical engineering
program. "He would say things like he
was the dumbest student at Northwestern," she
recalled. In May, just a few weeks
before finals, and just five days before his
twenty-first birthday, Jason took his own
life. "And I can't understand it. I
can't pretend that I'll ever understand it," she
said. Dr. Arkin encourages other
parents to talk with their children about their
pain, hopelessness and despair. Talk about
depression. "Don't be ashamed or
embarrassed to talk about it. You know, never be
ashamed to love your child enough to have the
difficult conversations with them," she
said. And get them help while you
can. The group Suicide Awareness
Survivor Support Missouri-Kansas will hold its
annual Remembrance Walk this Sunday, September 6,
at Loose Park in Kansas City, Missouri.
Registration is at 8 a.m. with the walk beginning
at 9 a.m. The group says the event will remember
those who've lost their lives to suicide, homicide,
fire, accident and other traumatic deaths. For more
information, e-mail
bonnie@sass-mokan.com. The first Jason Arkin
Memorial Walk will be held Sunday, September 20,
Congregation Beth Torah, 6100 W. 127th Street,
Overland Park, Kansas. People are invited to gather
at 7:30 a.m. with the walk starting at 8:15 a.m.
Donations may be made to the Greater Kansas City
Mental Health Coalition. For more, click
here. If you are having suicidal
thoughts, we urge you to get help
immediately. Go to a hospital, call 911 or
call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-SUICIDE
(1-800-784-2433). Suicide Among
the Young Suicide
in Men over 50: An Epidemic From 1970 to
1998, US annual suicide rates per 100,000 rose from
16.2 to 18.7 in men, but decreased from 6.8 to 4.5
in women. In 1998, the rate of suicide in white men
was 20.3/100,000 and in nonwhite men was
10.5/100,000; in male youths aged 15-24 years,
these rates were 19.3 for whites and 15.6 for
nonwhites (Table 1). Among the US elderly (aged
65+), 1998 suicide rates among elderly women were
similar to those among women of all ages
(4.7/100,000), but rates increased significantly
for elderly men (from 18.7 to 34.1/100,000). When
categorized by race, these rates of suicide among
elderly white men substantially increase (from 20.3
to 36.6/100,000) and increase moderately in
nonwhite elderly men (from10.5 to 13.7/100,000).
According to 1997 data from the National Institute
of Mental Health, the highest rate of suicide is
among white men older than age 85
(65/100,000). Table 1.
Suicide Rates in the US, 1998 Data
Rate/M Group Nation Whites Nonwhites Blacks Women Men White Nonwhite Black Thus in the
United States the suicide cohort is overwhelmingly
white, male, and older than age of 60. Strikingly,
the relationship between age, gender and suicide is
consistent throughout the world and across
cultures. Although base rates of individual
countries may vary, data from Western Europe, Asia,
and South America quite consistently show that in
all countries suicide is significantly more
prevalent among men and that after age 60 the
suicide rate for men dramatically
increases. There is a
well-established strong association between
depression and suicide. About 90% of suicides
result from treatable mental disorders, most
commonly depression or substance abuse disorder ."
Despite very effective treatments for depression,
there has not been a significant reduction in the
suicide rate in the United States, specifically no
dramatic reduction in the rate of suicide in men
over age 60. The argument that doctors do not have
the opportunity to treat patients who commit
suicide is not supported by the data. Among people
who commit suicide, 20% have seen a physician on
the day of the suicide, 40% have seen a physician
within1week and 70% have seen a physician within 1
month. Physicians may not be routinely evaluating
suicide potential at each office visit for the
high-risk population of older men. A
Rational Suicide? Mrs N is a
65-year-old retired intensive care nurse who
underwent an esophagectomy for esophageal cancer 3
years ago. Since then she has remained cancer-free.
Despite her good prognosis, Mrs N has had a poor
quality of life ever since the surgery, largely due
to intractable nausea and vomiting. She has seen a
variety of specialists and tried multiple
medications, without significant relief. Mrs N had
retired about a year before her diagnosis and
surgery and was looking forward to playing golf and
visiting her friends around the country . . .
things she never had time to do as a critical care
nurse. The refractory GI symptoms have prevented
her from traveling or even playing a round of golf
because she never knows when the waves of nausea
will come. Were it not
for these distressing symptoms, Mrs N would say she
has a very good life. Although divorced for many
years, she continues to have a close relationship
with her ex-husband, who is her power of attorney
(POA) for health care decisions. She is financially
comfortable and has stayed in touch with many
friends from her nursing career, but she is unable
to be socially active because of her disabling and
embarrassing fits of nausea and
vomiting. Over several
months, Mrs N and her ex-husband discuss her desire
to end her life that she had come to find
unbearable. Neither is religious and both have
always believed that a person has a right to
determine the timing and manner of his or her own
death. Mrs N has been stockpiling fentanyl from
various sources and has calculated the amount she
will need to kill herself. She arranges with her
ex-husband that she will text him when she is ready
to die and then after a specified amount of time,
he will come over and find her dead and take care
of her remains and affairs. The attempt,
however, does not go as planned; when her
ex-husband comes to the house, she is still alive.
Panicked, he calls 911, and an ambulance takes Mrs
N to the emergency department (ED) of a large
hospital. The ex-husband admits he knew of the
suicide attempt and expresses his view that his
ex-wife should be allowed to die; at one point he
even asks the paramedics “why they cannot just
finish this.” The patient is revived with
several doses of narcan en route and is given
fluids and oxygen before transfer to a medical
unit. When the
paramedics provide the history to the ED charge
nurse, she calls for an ethics consultation
regarding whether the ex-husband should be reported
to some authority. When the hospitalist admitting
the patient asks about code status, the patient
requests to be DNR. The hospitalist feels
uncomfortable letting a patient who just attempted
suicide and who endorses an intention to try again
to be DNR. The hospitalist requests an ethics
consultation. The
psychiatric consultant on duty is called into the
ED and interviews the patient. The patient reports
no psychiatric history or previous suicide
attempts. She denies feeling depressed and says
there are many things in life she enjoys. The
consultant can identify no signs and symptoms
consistent with a diagnosis of any primary
psychiatric disorder, including major depression.
Mrs N calmly and respectfully explains her views
regarding suicide and her disagreement with the
social prohibition against the practice. While the
psychiatrist has never believed in the concept of a
“rational suicide,” she is now finding
that belief seriously challenged. Concerned
that she may be missing something in the
presentation, the psychiatrist asks that a
geropsychiatrist colleague also assess Mrs N in the
hospital. The geropsychiatrist sees Mrs N the next
day and finds her to be completely cognitively
intact and of high intelligence, with good ego
strength, coping skills, and
self-esteem. Both
clinicians are impressed with Mrs N’s
reasoning that she enjoys her life and would want
to live if only her symptoms could be managed. She
is willing to have a new group of specialists work
up her case and is even willing to try new
medications so long as they do not impair her
psychomotor ability, on which her highly valued
independence rests. However, she makes very clear
to the psychiatrist that she will return home and
this time succeed in killing herself if these
medical interventions do not improve her symptoms
to a degree she finds acceptable. Here's what it's about. One
small character, one big purpose. Have you seen anyone with a
tattoo of a semi-colon? If not, you may not be
looking close enough. They're popping
up...everywhere. That's right: the semicolon.
It's a tattoo that has gained popularity in recent
years, but unlike other random or mystifying
trends, this one has a serious meaning behind
it. This mark represents mental
health struggles and the importance of suicide
prevention. Project
Semicolon
They describe themselves as a
"movement dedicated to presenting hope and love to
those who are struggling with depression, suicide,
addiction, and self-injury. Project Semicolon
exists to encourage, love, and inspire." But why a
semicolon? Originally created as a day
where people were encouraged to draw a semicolon on
their bodies and photograph it, it quickly grew
into something greater and more permanent. Today,
people all over the world are tattooing the mark as
a reminder of their struggle, victory, and
survival. I spoke with Jenn Brown and
Jeremy Jaramillo of The Semicolon Tattoo Project,
an organization inspired by the semicolon movement.
Along with some friends, Jenn and Jeremy saw an
opportunity to both help the community and reduce
the stigma around mental illness. In
2012, over 43 million Americans dealt with a mental
illness More conversations that
lead to less stigma? Yes please. "[The tattoo] is a
conversation starter," explains Jenn. "People ask
what it is and we get to tell them the
purpose." "I think if you see someone's
tattoo that you're interested in, that's fair game
to start a conversation with someone you don't
know," adds Jeremy. "It provides a great
opportunity to talk. Tattoos are interesting —
marks we put on our bodies that are important to
us." Last year, The Semicolon
Tattoo Project held an event at several tattoo
shops where people could get a semicolon tattoo for
a flat rate. "That money was a fundraiser for our
crisis center," said Jenn. In total, over 400
people received semicolon tattoos in one day. Even
better, what began as a local event has spread far
and wide, and people all over the world are getting
semicolon tattoos. And it's not just about
the conversation — it's about providing
tangible support and help too. Jenn and Jeremy work with the
Agora
Crisis Center.
So next time you see this
small punctuation tattoo, remember the words of
Upworthy writer Parker Molloy: But here I am, years
later, finally fitting the pieces of my life
together in a way I never thought they could
before. The semicolon (and the message that goes
along with it) is a reminder that I've faced
dark times, but I'm still here." No matter how we get there,
the end result is so important: help and support
for more people to also be able to say "I'm still
here." Need help? In the U.S., call
1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline or text the Crisis Text Line "SOS"
741741 I've seen it all over
Facebook and now I’m asking myself, “Why
is everyone getting a tattoo of a semicolon on
their wrist?” I decided to find
out….First of all, the semicolon represents
where the sentence could’ve ended but
didn’t. Just as how suicide could be prevented
but wasn’t. Many teachers are getting this
tattoo in support of the fight against suicide in
students. Three teens self harm every hour,
teachers see this in students everyday and are
spreading awareness to put it to a stop. Their mission statement on
Facebook reads…”We are trying to raise
awareness about self harming. We are a group of
people who will listen to your stories and help you
get through any tough time, answer and questions,
and give as much advice as possible.Together we can
get through anything.” If you know of someone who
can benefit from this Facebook page, maybe even
yourself, here is the link: www.facebook.com/TheSemicolonProject/info
Let’s stop the self
harming, the suicides and the bullying. Related
stories: USA Today
Need
to talk? Teen
who texted her boyfriend encouraging his suicide
will go on trial Carter's
lawyer had argued that her texts, which included
messages like, "When are you gonna do it? Stop
ignoring the question. ????" and "If you want it as
bad as you say you do it's time to do it today,"
were protected under the First Amendment, and that
Carter's own mental-health issues played a role.
Furthermore, Massachusetts does not have a specific
law prohibiting encouraging or verbally assisting
in suicide. But the judge
ruled that "the coercive quality of the defendant's
verbal conduct overwhelmed whatever willpower the
18-year-old victim had to cope with his depression,
and that but for the defendant's admonishments,
pressure, and instructions, the victim would not
have gotten back into the truck and poisoned
himself to death." Involuntary
manslaughter charges usually result from reckless,
criminal negligence or misdemeanor charges such as
hit-and-runs or driving under the influence.
Prosecutors said they "appreciate" the court's
decision and will focus on preparing for the trial,
which has not yet been assigned a date. Therapy
Prevents Repeat Suicide Attempts Using detailed Danish
government health records, researchers studied
5,678 people who had attempted suicide and then
received a program of short-term psychotherapy
based on needs, including crisis intervention,
cognitive therapy, behavioral therapy, and
psychodynamic and psychoanalytic treatment. They
compared them with 17,034 people who had attempted
suicide but received standard care, including
admission to a hospital, referral for treatment or
discharge with no referral. They were able to match
the groups in more than 30 genetic, health,
behavioral and socioeconomic characteristics. The
study is online in Lancet Psychiatry. Treatment focused on suicide
prevention and comprised eight to 10 weeks of
individual sessions. Over a 20-year follow-up,
16.5 percent of the treated group attempted suicide
again, compared with 19.1 percent of the untreated
group. In the treated group, 1.6 percent died by
suicide, compared with 2.2 percent of the
untreated. “Suicide is a rare
event,” said the lead author, Annette
Erlangsen, an associate professor at the Johns
Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health,
“and you need a huge sample to study it. We
had that, and we were able to find a significant
effect.” The authors estimate that
therapy prevented 145 suicide attempts and 30
deaths by suicide in the group studied. What
you can do to support Suicide Prevention Day -
9/10/17 Those activities may call
attention to the global burden of suicidal
behaviour, and discuss local, regional and national
strategies for suicide prevention, highlighting
cultural initiatives and emphasizing how specific
prevention initiatives are shaped to address local
cultural conditions. Initiatives which actively
educate and involve people are likely to be most
effective in helping people learn new information
about suicide and suicide prevention. Examples of
activities which can support World Suicide
Prevention Day include: Takes about 15
minutes. Author is Jed DIamond * * * "If you're feeling suicidal
this would be an ideal time to |
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