Suicide

Definitions & Key takeaways

Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often carried out as a result of despair, the cause of which is frequently attributed to a mental disorder, alcoholism, or drug abuse, as well as stress factors such as financial difficulties and bullying. Suicide prevention efforts include limiting access to lethal methods of suicide such as firearms and poisons, treating mental illness and drug misuse, and improving economic conditions.
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Every 40 seconds someone around the world dies by suicide. The US Centers for Disease Control cite suicide as the second leading cause of death among individuals aged 15 to 34, right after unintentional injuries like car crashes.
And it’s a major cause of death among the elderly as well. In fact, for every one that dies by suicide, there are over 20 others that have attempted suicide!
Now, prior to any suicide or attempted suicide, a person usually has suicidal thoughts, and that’s called suicidal ideation.
There’s a range - from passive suicidal ideation, where a person thinks they would be better off dead, to active suicidal ideation, where a person starts to make specific plans to die by suicide.
Fortunately, most people with suicidal ideation never attempt suicide, but there’s no reliable way to identify those who will.
Having said that, there are some predictive risk factors to consider. To identify individuals at higher risk of completing suicide, there’s a risk assessment scale, which can be remembered with the acronym SAD PERSONS.
S stands for male sex, A for age younger than 19 or older than 45, D for Depression, P for Previous suicide attempt, E for Excess alcohol or substance use, R for Rational thinking loss - having a distorted sense of reality, S for Separated or Single, O for Organized plan - like overdosing on pills, N for No social support and S for Sickness.
More risk factors - means a higher suicide risk. There are a few mental health conditions that can increase the risk for suicide- in particular, clinical depression and alcohol or substance addiction.
Clinical depression, which is sometimes called major depressive disorder or unipolar depression, is a relatively common but very serious condition that interferes with someone’s day to day life like working, studying, eating, sleeping— essentially leading to an overall feeling that life isn’t enjoyable.
Sometimes, this feeling is so intense that a person loses hope or meaning in life or starts believing that the world would be a better place without them.
In alcohol or substance addiction, individuals tend to be more impulsive, taking risks they normally wouldn’t take like driving recklessly.
Oftentimes, clinical depression and substance use disorder occur together. Many people turn to alcohol or substances to temporarily numb their feelings of depression, and chronic use of alcohol and substances can cause depression - creating a vicious cycle.
Even in the absence of any known mental disorder, some people impulsively decide to take their lives in moments of overwhelming life stress.
This could be due to the loss of a loved one due to a breakup or death, financial crisis, or chronic illnesses, like end-stage cancer.
Suicide more frequently affects vulnerable and stigmatized groups, like prisoners, refugees, and LGBTQ+ individuals. Due to various social pressures, some individuals within these groups can feel socially disconnected and lonely.
Addressing suicidal thoughts is hard for those feeling suicidal as well as for those trying to help. It can take a large emotional toll on partners as well as children living with a person who has suicidal thoughts - as well as for those dealing with the loss of a loved one who has died by suicide.
What’s even worse is that suicide carries a lot of social stigma. Love and support from friends and family helps tremendously, and having a strong social support network has been proven to lead to better outcomes.
The good news is that suicide is preventable. This can be done by identifying those at risk and offering counseling and therapy, as well as adequate follow-up care for those who have attempted suicide.
In addition, establishing 24/7 suicide prevention lifelines that are free and confidential for people in distress can make