Suicide crisis
Suicide |
---|
A suicide crisis, suicidal crisis or potential suicide is a situation in which a person is attempting to
Nature
Most cases of potential suicide have warning signs.) are all indicators of a suicide crisis. More subtle clues include preparing for death for no apparent reason (such as putting affairs in order, changing a will, etc.), writing goodbye letters, and visiting or calling family members or friends to say farewell. The person may also start giving away previously valued items (because they "no longer need them"). In other cases, the person who seemed depressed and suicidal may become normal or filled with energy or calmness again; these people particularly need to be watched because the return to normalcy could be because they have come to terms with whatever act is next (e.g., a plan to attempt suicide and "escape" from their problems).
Suicide is often committed in response to a cause of depression, such as the cessation of a romantic relationship, serious illness or injury (like the loss of a limb or blindness), the death of a loved one, financial problems or poverty, guilt or fear of getting caught for something the person did, drug abuse, old age, concerns with gender identity, among others.[8]
In 2006, WHO conducted a study on suicide around the world. The results in Canada showed that 80-90% of suicide attempts (an estimation, due to the complications of predicting attempted suicide). 90% of attempted suicides investigated led to hospitalizations. 12% of attempts were in hospitals.[citation needed]
Treatments
Intervention
Intervention is important to stop someone in a suicidal crisis from harming or killing themselves. Every sign of suicide should be taken seriously. Steps to take in order to help defuse the situation or get the person in crisis to safety include:[14]
- Stay with the person so they are not alone.
- Call 988 (if in the U.S.) or another suicide hotline, or take the person to the nearest hospital facility.
- Reach out to a family member or friend about what is going on.
If a friend or loved one is talking about suicide but is not yet in crisis, the following steps should be taken to help them get professional help and feel supported:[14]
- Call a suicide hotline number; the U.S. numbers are 988 or 800-273-8255.
- Remove dangerous objects, such as guns and knives, from the home.
- Offer reassurance and support.
- Help the person to seek medical treatment.
See also
References
- PMID 27703761.
- PMID 22796102.
- ^ "health.umd.edu/node/791". Archived from the original on 2017-10-23. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
- ^ Barker, P. (2003). Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing The craft of caring. pp 227. New York, NY: Oxford University Press Inc.
- ^ "Suicide and suicidal behavior". MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. 15 January 2009. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
- ^ Stewart, George (2004). "Suicide & Mental Distress". Suicide Reference Library. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
- ^ "Understanding the Symptoms of Depression". WebMD. 12 November 2008. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
- ^ "Suicide". 2 March 2004. Archived from the original on 25 May 2006. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
- ^ PMID 24688759.
- S2CID 24308373.
- ^ ECRI Institute, under contract to AHRQ. December 2013 AHRQ Healthcare Horizon Scanning System – Potential High-Impact Interventions Report. Priority Area 05: Depression and Other Mental Health Disorders Archived 2014-08-08 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ National Institute of Mental Health (7 August 2006). "Experimental Medication Kicks Depression in Hours Instead of Weeks". NIH News (Press release). National Institutes of Health; Dept. of Health and Human Services; United States.
National Institute of Mental Health director Thomas Insel said, "To my knowledge, this is the first report of any medication or other treatment that results in such a pronounced, rapid, prolonged response with a single dose. These were very treatment-resistant patients."
- PMID 24388038.
- ^ a b Hall-Flavin, Daniel (2018). "Suicide: What to do when someone is suicidal". Mayo Clinic. Retrieved 23 March 2021.