Understanding Suicide An Informational  Series

Part 1: Introduction

Introduction

Suicide is a word that can be immediately triggering for some individuals since it can stir up grief, fear, anxiety and pain. For these very reasons, it is critical that we understand the causes of suicide and the means that we have at our disposal to prevent it.

Additionally we must understand various ways in which suicidality may present or show up in others. To accomplish this, we  first start by identifying those who are at an increased risk. Secondly, we must develop an understanding of ideation and the symptoms and occurrences that may prompt suicidality.

To demonstrate the severity of suicide, consider the fact that almost half of all Americans have known someone who has died from suicide, as it is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States (Feigelman et al., 2018).

Suicide is a DIRE public health issue and anyone can be affected by symptoms. However, the first high risk group that has been identified is white middle aged males  (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, 2018). 

The next high-risk group is women of color who are low income, single, prior victims of intimate partner violence (IPV), who have minimal education that ended prior to 12th grade (Alhusen, Frohman & Purcell, 2015). This demographic is at even higher risk if they are or were pregnant while experiencing domestic violence. In fact, more than half of all pregnancy associated suicides involve IPV that served as a catalyst to the woman’s suicide or attempt (Alhusen, Frohman & Purcell, 2015).

Finally, clients and individuals who suffer from schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, borderline personality disorder and depression are also at higher risk for becoming suicidal due to the symptoms and triggers of their mental health conditions.

As clinicians in mental health interact with several client cases involving instances of IPV, Schizophrenia, borderline, depression and bi-polar diagnoses, it is very important to conduct ongoing screening and assessment for suicidal ideation in clients who fit these risk level categories. This will allow clients to be reached wherever they are and provide direction for where to begin in the process of prevention within their treatment. 

As families of loved ones who experience or battle suicidal ideation, the biggest question that is often asked is WHY? Why do our loved one’s feel driven towards suicide? To understand this better we must understand that there are different types of suicide and different levels of ideation.

Join us tomorrow for part 2 in our psychoeducational series Understanding Suicide.

If you or a loved one is considering suicide, you are NOT alone. Please get help today! Help IS available and your life is worth it. 

Suicide & Crisis Prevention Lifeline: Call or text 988, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. https://988lifeline.org/