FACTS ABOUT SUICIDE: WHAT ALL MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS SHOULD KNOW

Jun 17, 2023

Suicide is a global health and social concern, with about one million people dying by suicide each year, making suicide prevention one of the most pressing public and mental health challenges. In this post, we’ll look at the facts about suicide, common misconceptions around it, and what mental health practitioners should know to assist their patients avoid suicide.

Facts & Figures

Suicide has an impact on everyone. Approximately 41,000 people died by suicide in the last year, with 1.3 million adults attempting suicide, 2.7 million persons planning suicide, and 9.3 million adults having suicidal thoughts.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that suicide is a serious but preventable public health problem that can have lasting harmful effects on individuals, families, and communities. People who attempt suicide but do not die, face potentially serious injury or disability, depending on the method used in the attempt.

Depression and other mental health issues follow the suicide attempt. Suicidal behavior is a major problem with a huge impact on everyone involved. It is unbearable suffering in patients. Family members and care providers often struggle with feelings of powerlessness, sadness, and guilt. Experiencing a suicide attempt is shocking for all parties.

Dealing with and treating people with suicidal behavior is not easy. According to the latest (2019) data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide is the tenth leading cause of death overall in the U.S. and the second leading cause of death for youth and young adults ages 10-34 (CDC, 2021). Over 90% of people who die by suicide have a diagnosable mental health disorder at time of death and will often meet with health professionals during their time of suicide risk. Approximately 32% of people who die by suicide have contact with mental health services within a year of their death, and 19% of people who die by suicide have contact with a mental health professional in the month prior to their death.

Six Misconceptions vs Facts About Suicide

Suicide is a difficult topic to discuss that many people, unconsciously, prefer to avoid. Shame, fear of stigma and various misconceptions and the feeling of losing control (forced admission) are barriers for clients from getting professional help for their suicidal thoughts. Unfortunately, our society often paints suicide the way they would a prison sentence—a permanent situation that brands an individual.

However, suicidal ideation is not a brand or a label, it is a sign that an individual is suffering deeply and must seek treatment. And it is falsehoods like these that can prevent people from getting the help they need to get better.

Debunking the common misconceptions associated with suicide can assist society recognize the significance of helping others seek treatment and show individuals the importance of addressing their mental health challenges.

Here are some of the most common myths and facts about suicide (source: World Health Organization 2017):

MYTH 1: Talking about suicide is a bad idea and can be perceived as promoting suicide.

FACTS: Given the widespread prejudice against suicide, many people who are thinking about suicide don’t know who to tell. Discussing suicide without concealment does not encourage suicide-related behaviors but gives the person time to rethink non-suicide options and decisions. As a result, it leads to prevention of suicide.

MYTH 2: Those who talk about suicide are not going to commit suicide.

FACTS: Those who talk about suicide may be seeking help and help outwards. A great many people thinking about suicide may feel anxiety, depression, and despair and think that they have no choice but to commit suicide.

MYTH 3: Those who are thinking of suicide are determined to die.

FACTS: On the contrary, those who are thinking of suicide often sway between “want to live” and “want to die”. For example, you may ingest pesticides impulsively and die a few days later even if you want to live. Having access to emotional support at the right time can prevent suicide.

MYTH 4: Many suicides occur suddenly without any warning.

FACTS: Most cases of suicide showed warning signs of words or actions prior to suicide. Of course, some suicides occur without signs. However, it is important to understand and pay attention to the signs that others will notice.

MYTH 5: People who think about suicide once continue to want to commit suicide.

FACTS: The increased risk of suicide is temporary and often depends on the circumstances at the time. Suicidal ideation may occur repeatedly, but it is not long-lasting, and even those who have had suicidal ideation or attempted suicide in the past can live longer in their lives.

MYTH 6: Only people with mental illness consider suicide.

FACTS: Suicide-related behaviors indicate deep sadness and misery, but do not necessarily indicate that there is a mental illness. Many people with mental illness do not exhibit suicide-related behavior, and not all those who have died themselves have mental illness.

WHAT CAN YOU DO AS A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL?

AS A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL, YOU CAN DO A LOT IN THE FIELD OF SUICIDE PREVENTION. SOME THINGS SEEM OBVIOUS BUT ARE NOT CARRIED OUT BECAUSE THE FOCUS IS ELSEWHERE. TALKING ABOUT SUICIDE IS STILL A TABOO. AS A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL, IT IS YOUR JOB TO BREAK THIS TABOO. BUT WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO?

Make suicidality a topic for discussion through screening and monitoring

Screening clients in mental health care for suicidal behavior in every conversation. This is because of the increased risk among these clients, the chance that suicidality will develop or worsen during the course of treatment, or because this can help reduce the client’s resistance to discussing this.

Diagnosis and indication

According to the most recent insights, suicidal behavior as a separate syndrome should be treated directly with a targeted (usually cognitive or mentalization-oriented) therapeutic approach, in addition to the treatment of co-morbid problems such as depression, anxiety, addiction, psychosis, or personality problems. A specific treatment starts with a descriptive and explanatory diagnosis of the suicidal behavior, in conjunction with other psychiatric, somatic, and contextual problems. This can be done, for example, by means of the CASE method.

Promote safety

Guidelines advise to make agreements and plans together with the client, his next of kin and the treatment framework that increase safety. It is recommended that you draw up a safety plan and keep it up to date. Ask yourself to what extent the client can oversee his own interests and reality. If the client is unable to do so, there is an indication to take over his responsibility for his own safety and to take external/physical protective measures (with the deployment of the mental health crisis service, emergency services and relatives).

Involve loved ones in (suspected) suicidality

Immediately involve relatives (family, partner, friend, acquaintance, neighbors, housemates, colleagues) in the conversation and give them information and tools for breaking through the isolation of the client and monitoring his safety. There is no health law impediment to asking the relatives of people with suicidal thoughts hetero-anamnestic questions, even if the client objects to this. Contextual information is necessary to be able to perform proper diagnosis, assessment, treatment, and progress evaluation.

Professional development

Professionals need consistent training on effective means of suicide risk assessment, treatment, and management in order to provide lifesaving, suicide-specific treatment. However, the training and knowledge that some mental health professionals utilize is outdated, ineffective, and potentially harmful. Findings from the studies about risk assessment procedures indicated the existence of failures in recognizing suicide risk among health professionals and identified that clinicians preferred the use of interview questions rather than suicide assessment instruments.

More and more states are beginning to mandate that mental health professionals complete required training (continuing education) in suicide prevention. Mandating standards for suicide prevention treatment ensures that health professionals maintain competency and consistency when treating them most vulnerable patients who deserve adequate service.

CEU Outlet

To fulfill the growing requirement for continuing education for suicide prevention training, CEU Outlet offers an online CE course that extensively covers the assessment and treatment of suicidal individuals. This course also helps to recognize signs and symptoms of secondary trauma and compassion fatigue.

This 8-hour CE course on suicide risk assessment and treatment is an opportunity for you, clinicians, to have the tools you need to start doing things differently, and help your clients end their pain and suffering, so they can live lives filled with freedom, joy, and happiness.

Final Thoughts

Promoting the known facts about suicidal behaviors, intervention strategies, and effective treatment is vital in preventing suicides.

References:

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