Suicide Prevention Tool Research Articles

Épidémie de COVID-19 et prise en charge des conduites suicidaires : challenge et perspectives

ObjectiveThe COVID-19 pandemic affected today more than 3,000,000 worldwide, and more than half of humanity has been placed in quarantine. The scientific community and the political authorities fear an epidemic of suicide secondary to this crisis. The aim of this review is to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the dimensions of the suicidal process and its interaction with the various risk factors. We also propose innovative strategies to manage suicidal behavior in the context of pandemic. MethodsWe carried out a narrative review of international publications dealing with major pandemics (COVID-19, SARS) and their influence on suicidal vulnerability. ResultsMany factors are likely to increase the emergence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts during this crisis. Social distancing and quarantine could increase the feeling of disconnection and the perception of social pain in vulnerable individuals. Some populations at high suicidal risk could be further impacted by the current pandemic: the elderly, medical staff and individuals exposed to economic insecurity. Several innovative tools adapted to the constraints of social distancing and quarantine may prevent suicide risk: e-health, VigilanS, buddhist-derived practices and art engagement. ConclusionsThis unprecedented crisis may interact with certain dimensions of the suicidal process. However, it is time to innovate. Several suicide prevention tools all have their place in new modes of care and should be tested on a large scale.

Suicidabilidad y apoyo social percibido en estudiantes universitarios con enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles

The objective was to identify associations between perceived social support, suicidal risk and the presence of chronic or communicable disease in university students. Using a case-control design, consisting of 41 subjects in each group. The median age was 22 years (R = 9), 81,8% were women, 26,8% of the subjects had asthma and 26,8% had hypothyroidism, 63,6% were students of the faculties of Education. The association between chronic disease and social support was not proven, nor was there a suicidal risk. There is an indirect association between suicide risk and social support, not so when assessing the previous suicide attempt. The levels of suicide risk and social support are associated, independent of an existing chronic disease. We are hopeful that our results will be effective in promoting social support as a basic tool for suicide prevention, especially in subjects with chronic disease.

Resource Document on Risk-Based Gun Removal Laws.

(Reprinted with permission from APA Resource Document, June 2018).

ED recommendations for suicide prevention in adults: The ICAR2E mnemonic and a systematic review of the literature

IntroductionCaring for suicidal patients can be challenging, especially in emergency departments without easy access to mental health specialists. The American College of Emergency Physicians and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention appointed a working group to create an easy-to-use suicide prevention tool for ED providers. MethodsThe writing group created an easy-to-use mnemonic for the care of adult patients as a way of organizing sequential steps, accompanied by a systematic review of available ED-based suicide prevention literature. The systematic review was performed both to ensure that all relevant evidence was taken into account as well as to evaluate the strength of evidence for each recommendation. Levels of evidence were assigned utilizing the ACEP level of evidence classification. ResultsThe writing group created the mnemonic ICAR2E, which stands for Identify suicide risk; Communicate; Assess for life threats and ensure safety; Risk assessment (of suicide); Reduce the risk (of suicide); and Extend care beyond the ED. 31 articles were identified in the search, and were included in the systematic review. ConclusionsThe ICAR2E mnemonic may be a feasible way for practicing ED clinicians to provide evidence-based care to suicidal patients. However, further research is needed.

Ethics and Artificial Intelligence: Suicide Prevention on Facebook

There is a death by suicide in the world every 40 seconds, and suicide is the second leading cause of death for 15–29-year-olds. Experts say that one of the best ways to prevent suicide is for those in distress to hear from people who care about them. Facebook is in a unique position—through its support for networks and friendships on the site—to help connect a person in these difficult situations with people who can support them. Connecting people with the resources they need is part of Facebook’s ongoing efforts to help build a safe community inside and outside of Facebook. This article provides a brief overview of how Facebook’s work to develop suicide prevention tools started and evolved, and the ethical considerations which surfaced during the process in the form of concrete product decisions around the implementation of these tools. This article is structured into three sections. Section 1 reviews what has been done in this space and lists and briefly describes other suicide prevention apps and tools. Section 2 describes Facebook’s overall approach to suicide prevention. Here, we’ll delve first into how that approach originated and how it was influenced by the external community’s proactive interactions with Facebook, highlighting our unique position to help address the problem. Afterwards, we’ll explain how that approach evolved, describing its various stages and iterations: understanding, reactive reporting, queue prioritization, and proactive reporting. This section describes the tools and resources Facebook has developed for people who may be at risk. Particular attention is devoted to the use of ArtificiaI Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to detect posts or live videos where someone might be expressing thoughts of suicide. Section 3 will elaborate on the ethical questions addressed when developing our approach and when making concrete product decisions to implement our suicide prevention tools. In this last section, we’ll expound the competing values and interests that were at stake during the product development process, and how we reached ethical balances between them.

Political Beliefs, Region of Residence, and Openness to Firearm Means Safety Measures to Prevent Suicide

Firearms account for approximately half of all suicides in the United States and are highly lethal, widely available, and popular; thus, are an ideal candidate for targeted means safety interventions. However, despite their value as a suicide prevention tool, firearm means safety strategies are not widely utilized, possibly due to factors which impede openness to their use. This study examines the relationship between region, political beliefs, and openness to firearm means safety in a sample of 300 American firearm owners. Overall, firearm owners were more willing to engage in means safety for others than for themselves and to store firearms safely than temporarily remove them from the home. Social policy views and region were significantly associated with openness to firearm means safety measures, however, economic policy views were not. This study provides further context for the development and implementation of efficacious means safety measures capable of overcoming potential barriers to their use.

Stakeholder views regarding a planned primary care office-based interactive multimedia suicide prevention tool

ObjectivesNearly half of all men who die by suicide visit a primary care clinician (PCC) in the month before death, yet few disclose suicide thoughts. We solicited stakeholders’ views to guide development of a tailored multimedia program to activate middle-aged men experiencing suicide thoughts to engage with PCCs. MethodsWe conducted semi-structured interviews with 44 adults self-identifying as: suicide attempt survivor; family member/loved one of person(s) who attempted or died by suicide; PCC; non-PCC office staff; health administrator; and/or prevention advocate. We coded recorded interview transcripts and identified relevant themes using grounded theory. ResultsTwo thematic groupings emerged, informing program design: structure and delivery (including belief the program could be effective and desire for use of plain language and media over text); and informational and motivational content (including concerns about PCC preparedness; fear that disclosing suicide thoughts would necessitate hospitalization; and influence of male identity and masculinity, respectively, in care-seeking for and interpreting suicide thoughts). ConclusionStakeholder input informed the design of a primary care tailored multimedia suicide prevention tool. Practice ImplicationsIn revealing a previously unreported barrier to disclosing suicide thoughts to PCCs (fear of hospitalization), and underscoring known barriers, the findings may suggest additional suicide prevention approaches.

Openness to firearm storage safety as a suicide prevention tool among those exposed to suicide: The role of perceived closeness to the suicide decedent

BackgroundExposure to suicide and closeness to a suicide decedent may be relevant to means safety, especially in firearm owners. This study examines how such factors are associated with firearm owners’ current firearm storage methods and openness to changing storage methods. Method300 firearm owners completed a survey on Amazon's Mechanical Turk program; 176 participants reported being exposed to suicide. Perceived closeness was rated as Not at all close, Close, or Extremely Close. ResultsThose exposed to suicide were more open to secure storage and temporarily storing the firearm with a trusted individual to prevent someone else's suicide. Those close to the suicide decedent were more likely to use secure storage practices, more open to using secure storage methods to prevent their own and someone else's suicide, and had a higher degree of storage methods in place compared to those not close to the decedent. LimitationsThe sample may not be representative of all American firearm owners exposed to suicide. ConclusionsBeing close to a suicide decedent may influence firearm owners’ current storage practices and openness to changing storage methods. Such individuals may better relate to the suicide decedent and realize the significance of using secure storage methods to prevent suicide.

Experiences of Donating Personal Data to Mental Health Research: An Explorative Anthropological Study.

Technological developments, such as the advent of social networking sites, apps, and tracking ‘cookies’, enable the generation and collection of unprecedented quantities of rich personal and behavioural data, opening up a vast new resource for mental health research. Despite these non-traditional health-related data already forming a vital foundation of many new research avenues, little analysis has been done focusing on the experiences, motivations, and concerns of the individuals already engaged in data sharing and donation practices. This explorative study aims to investigate the experiences of individuals voluntarily donating their data to mental health research, specifically through the open data initiative OurDataHelps.org, which aims to develop effective suicide prevention tools. Qualitative semi-structured interviews and participant observation were used on a small sample of participants, yielding 3 key findings: (1) The relationship between participants and their data traces fluctuated between unconscious agency and hyper awareness through curatorship. (2) Despite having concerns about privacy and surveillance, participants were driven by altruistic motivations to engage with health researchers valued by their community, in the hope that their personal information could be of some benefit to future avenues of research. (3) In most cases represented in this sample group, motivation was found to stem from personal experiences with mental health, suicide, and loss. In the suicide survivor community, the experience of data donation is often valued as a method for emotional processing of a loss, connecting with the experiences of others, or as a way of regaining a sense of ‘purpose’. By understanding the motivations of individual participants, future projects can ensure that data donation processes are a positive experience and ultimately, increase and sustain the huge potential resources for health researchers worldwide.

Sumaniosios edukacijos įgalinimas mažinant savižudybių rizikas

The article reviews the empowerment of smart education in order to reduce suicide risks. It analyzes the concept of suicide, definition of its risk and factors. Through the analysis of good practice and the recommendations of the World Health Organization, the educational suicidal risk management model is designed, based on the distinguished suicide prevention tools. Through case studies, the importance of education is highlighted in identifying signs of suicidal behaviors and in designing engagement actions through smart education. Keywords: suicide risk, education, empowerment, adult learning. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15823/su.2017.30

Differentiating suicide decedents who died using firearms from those who died using other methods

Studies have documented a link between gun ownership and suicide, but little is known about characteristics of those most likely to use a gun in a suicide attempt rather than alternative methods. We examined which factors differentiate suicide decedents who died using a gun from those who died by other methods. We further examined whether such findings are consistent within the subcomponent of our larger sample comprised entirely of gun owning suicide decedents. Data reflect 267 suicide decedents, with data provided by individuals who identified as having lost someone to suicide (loss survivors). Within the full sample, a higher proportion of gun-owning and male suicide decedents died by firearm. Further, individuals who had previously discussed suicide or engaged in one or more non-lethal suicide attempts were less likely to die by suicide using a gun. Within the subsample of gun owning suicide decedents, a greater proportion of decedents who stored guns at home and in unsecure locations died from self-inflected gunshot wounds. These findings add clarity to the relationship between firearm ownership and death by suicide at the individual level. Furthermore, these findings are consistent with the notion that means safety implementation may represent a vital suicide prevention tool.

Suicide prevention efforts for the elderly in Korea.

South Korea has the highest suicide rate among member countries of the organisation for economic Co-operation and Development (oeCD); this suicide rate is six times higher than the oeCD average.1 in particular, rapid increases in the suicide rate among the elderly have been analysed as a major contributor to the country's overall high suicide rate.2 As the suicides of many elderly people are thoughtfully planned, preventing their suicides is known to be much easier than preventing the suicides of younger people, which are often more impulsive.3Recent efforts have shown that local governments are key to intervention and prevention. Leading cases in which the suicide of elderly people was reduced through the active suicide prevention projects of local governments include examples from Jinan County, the Nowon-gu and Seongbuk-gu districts of Seoul, and Cheongju.Jinan County showed a high rate of elderly people who were super-aged, underprivileged, or living alone suffering from economic distress and extreme loneliness.4 the most successful specialised project related to suicide prevention may have been the implementation of depression screening tests for those aged 65 years or above. When the screening tests showed the symptoms of depression in elderly people, the counsellors - who were gatekeepers for suicide prevention and comprised the head of the community, health teachers in schools, and caregivers for the elderly - encouraged the elderly people to change their perceptions through one-on-one counselling. in addition, Jinan County appointed and operated five villages as 'Villages enjoying Happiness' in conjunction with the Jeonbuk Mental Health enhancement Center. the happiness creation programme of 'Villages enjoying Happiness' was designed to promote a reduction in the incidence of depression and suicidal events through laughter therapy, to provide opportunities to improve social relations through the unity of villagers, and to encourage participation in social activities by local residents who lived otherwise isolated lives.5After the implementation of this multidirectional suicide prevention programme, the suicide rate in Jinangun, which had been the country's highest in 2011 at 75.5 per 100,000 people, went down to 234th place.6Nowon-gu also made use of depression screening tests to address the problem of high suicide rates among the elderly. Among the districts of Seoul, Nowon-gu developed a customised survey tool for suicide prevention for each subject group and conducted a depression screening test. this test discovered a suicide-related risk group in the early stages of depression which amounted to around 10% of the 150,000 elderly people who lived alone.7 in addition, the district organised 'Life Keepers', whose role was to discover members of high-risk groups in the community and help prevent suicide attempts by these individuals by connecting them with specialised organisations to receive proper counselling for their crises, and actively supported the activities of the Life Keepers.Seongbuk-gu was the first of the country's local governments to open a suicide prevention centre. this district has carried out a leading suicide prevention project to spread and practice the value of respect for life, including education on respect for life, a campaign for wearing a 'life badge', a one-on-one sponsorship service involving any high-risk group and mental health caregivers, and gardening activities as therapy for emotional support of the elderly. in doing so, the district reduced its suicide rate from fifth place among the 25 local governments in 2010 to 20th place in 2012.8'Mental Caregivers' is a mental care service that helps the elderly who struggle with depression, despair and suicidal thoughts to feel less lonely and find psychological stability and peace. …

Social media and suicide prevention: a systematic review.

Social media platforms are commonly used for the expression of suicidal thoughts and feelings, particularly by young people. Despite this, little is known about the ways in which social media can be used for suicide prevention. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review to identify current evidence pertaining to the ways in which social media are currently used as a tool for suicide prevention. Medline, PsycInfo, Embase, CINHAL and the Cochrane Library were searched for articles published between 1991 and April 2014. English language articles with a focus on suicide-related behaviour and social media were included. No exclusion was placed on study design. Thirty studies were included; 4 described the development of social media sites designed for suicide prevention, 6 examined the potential of social media in terms of its ability to reach or identify people at risk of suicide, 15 examined the ways in which people used social media for suicide prevention-related purposes, and 5 examined the experiences of people who had used social media sites for suicide prevention purposes. No intervention studies were identified. Social media platforms can reach large numbers of otherwise hard-to-engage individuals, may allow others to intervene following an expression of suicidal ideation online, and provide an anonymous, accessible and non-judgmental forum for sharing experiences. Challenges include difficulties controlling user behaviour and accurately assessing risk, issues relating to privacy and confidentiality and the possibility of contagion. Social media appears to hold significant potential for suicide prevention; however, additional research into its safety and efficacy is required.

Internet pathways in suicidality: a review of the evidence.

The general aim of this study was to review the scientific literature concerning the Internet and suicidality and to examine the different pathways by which suicidal risks and prevention efforts are facilitated through the Internet. An online literature search was conducted using the MEDLINE and Google Scholar databases. The main themes that were investigated included pathological Internet use and suicidality, pro-suicide websites, suicide pacts on the Internet, and suicide prevention via the Internet. Articles were screened based on the titles and abstracts reporting on the themes of interest. Thereafter, articles were selected based on scientific relevance of the study, and included for full text assessment. The results illustrated that specific Internet pathways increased the risk for suicidal behaviours, particularly in adolescents and young people. Several studies found significant correlations between pathological Internet use and suicidal ideation and non-suicidal self-injury. Pro-suicide websites and online suicide pacts were observed as high-risk factors for facilitating suicidal behaviours, particularly among isolated and susceptible individuals. Conversely, the evidence also showed that the Internet could be an effective tool for suicide prevention, especially for socially-isolated and vulnerable individuals, who might otherwise be unreachable. It is this paradox that accentuates the need for further research in this field.

Suicide Prevention Tool Geared to Primary Care

Suicide Prevention Tool Geared to Primary Care

Suicide Prevention Tool Geared to Primary Care Physicians

Suicide Prevention Tool Geared to Primary Care Physicians

Beyond Crisis Intervention: The Search for Effective Suicide Prevention Tools

Beyond Crisis Intervention: The Search for Effective Suicide Prevention Tools

Introduction

Introduction