Stats
True or False?
Some groups have higher suicide rates than others?
True. While anyone can experience suicide risk, some populations experience more negative social conditions and have higher rates of suicide or suicide attempts than the general U.S. population. These are called disparities (CDC, 2024).
Examples of groups experiencing suicide health disparities include those in rural areas, people of color, middle-aged adults, veterans, and LGBTQIA+ individuals (CDC, 2024).
Fact or Myth?
Talking about suicide openly is dangerous and can often plant the idea into someone’s head.
Myth
Talking about suicide is a prevention effort. You should always ask questions about directly to ensure safety.
Marina Murphy, M. (2021, May 26). Does talking about suicide make someone more likely to commit suicide?. University of Nevada, Reno. https://www.unr.edu/nevada-today/news/2021/atp-normalize-talking-about-suicide
Name 5 circumstances that increase suicide risk (CDC, 2024).
Personal Risks: Previous suicide attempt
History of depression and other mental illnesses
Serious illness such as chronic pain
Criminal/legal problems
Job/financial problems or loss
Impulsive or aggressive tendencies
Substance use
Current or prior history of adverse childhood experiences
Sense of hopelessness
Violence victimization and/or perpetration
Relationship Risks:
These harmful or hurtful experiences within relationships contribute to risk:
Bullying
Family/loved one's history of suicide
Loss of relationships
High conflict or violent relationships
Social isolation
Community Risks:
These challenging issues within a person's community contribute to risk:
Lack of access to healthcare
Suicide cluster in the community
Stress of acculturation
Community violence
Historical trauma
Discrimination
Societal Risks:
These cultural and environmental factors within the larger society contribute to risk:
Stigma associated with help-seeking and mental illness
Easy access to lethal means of suicide among people at risk
Unsafe media portrayals of suicide
What are the behaviors called that individuals unconsciously or subconsciously engage in to help manage internal and external stressors in an attempt to tolerate emotional distress.
Examples: Substance use, humor, meditation, procrastination, reading, self-harm, avoidance, etc.
Coping Skills/Mechanisms
Algorani EB, Gupta V. Coping Mechanisms. [Updated 2023 Apr 24]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559031/
True or False
One of the warning signs is if someone starts to give away their possessions (CDC, 2024).
True
Suicide is the what place (ex. 5th, 6th, 7th) on the list of leading cause of death for youth and young adults ages 10-24?
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for this age group, accounting for 7,126 deaths (CDC, 2024).
Fact or Myth?
Males die by suicide more frequently than females.
Fact
Men complete suicide at higher rates than females. This is because men may choose more lethal means such as firearms (Berardelli, 2022).
Berardelli, I., Rogante, E., Sarubbi, S., Erbuto, D., Cifrodelli, M., Concolato, C., Pasquini, M., Lester, D., Innamorati, M., & Pompili, M. (2022). Is Lethality Different between Males and Females? Clinical and Gender Differences in Inpatient Suicide Attempters. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(20), 13309. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013309
Name 3 circumstances that protect against suicide risk (CDC, 2024).
Individual:
Effective coping and problem-solving skills
Reasons for living (for example, family, friends, pets, etc.)
Strong sense of cultural identity
Relationship:
Support from partners, friends, and family
Feeling connected to others
Community:
Feeling connected to school, community, and other social institutions
Availability of consistent and high quality physical and behavioral healthcare
Societal:
Reduced access to lethal means of suicide among people at risk
Cultural, religious, or moral objections to suicide
Name 5 healthy coping skills for depression.
Deep breathing, exercise, sports, mindfulness, meditation, yoga, art, music, journaling, therapy, boundaries, gratitude, humor, laughter, pets, positive self-talk, reading, playing a game, utilizing support system, dancing, gardening, walk/jog/run, paint your nails or do your makeup, prayer, find a comforting tv show, challenge negative self-talk, challenge negative thoughts, calling a hotline, etc.
Algorani EB, Gupta V. Coping Mechanisms. [Updated 2023 Apr 24]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559031/
Name 3 warning signs for suicide (CDC, 2024)
What is the most common method used in suicides?
Firearms were used in more than 50% of suicides in 2022 (CDC, 2024).
Fact or Myth?
The danger of suicide has passed when a person begins to cheer up.
Myth
Having a history of suicidal ideation is something to keep in mind as this may be a risk for future suicidal ideation (CDC, 2024)
Kaiser Permanente did a study to collect data on people’s ACEs What does ACE stand for?
Adverse Childhood Experiences
Felitti, V. J., Anda, R. F., Nordenberg, D., Williamson, D. F., Spitz, A. M., Edwards, V., Koss, M. P., & Marks, J. S. (2019). Reprint of: Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults: The adverse childhood experiences (ACE) study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 56(6), 774–786. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2019.04.001
Doing this Cognitive Behavioral Therapy activity may help individuals identify emotional triggers and patterns to help recognize early signs of depression for timely intervention (NIH, 2023).
Examples: Recording in a mood journal, feelings journal, or using an app such as daylio, eMoods, or Moodpress.
Mood Monitoring/Tracking
Emotion Tracking/Monitoring
Self-tracking
Beltzer, M. L., Meyerhoff, J., Popowski, S. A., Mohr, D. C., & Kornfield, R. (2023). Mental Health Self-Tracking Preferences of Young Adults With Depression and Anxiety Not Engaged in Treatment: Qualitative Analysis. JMIR formative research, 7, e48152. https://doi.org/10.2196/48152
The CDC gives us 5 steps to help someone at risk, name 2 of them (CDC, 2024).
Ask
Keep them safe
Be there
Help them connect.
Follow up