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Community Currents
September Is Suicide Prevention Month: Know the Signs and Symptoms, Help Yourself, Friends, and Family
By: April Banerjee, PWDF Executive Director Suicide rates increased in almost every state from 1999 to 2016,[1] with a nationwide increase of 28% during that period.[2] Suicide is now the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, making it a major public health concern.[3] It is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-34 and the fourth leading cause of death for people ages 35-54.[4] Reportedly, the majority of people who died by suicide did not express their intent.[5] In addition, while “mental health conditions are often seen as the cause of suicide, . . . . many people who die by suicide are not known to have a diagnosed mental health condition.”[6] Thus as a community, is it important that we learn to recognize the risk factors and warning signs of suicide, as well as work to increase the protective factors, i.e., the characteristics that make it less likely someone will consider suicide. Protective factors have not been studied as extensively as risk factors, but are equally important to understand.[7] Protective factors include contacts with health care providers, effective mental health care and easy access to clinical interventions, problem-solving and conflict resolution skills, and “strong connections to individuals, family, community and social institutions.”[8] There is no single cause of suicidal behavior. While many factors contribute to the risk of someone making an attempt, “[m]any people have some of these risk factors but do not attempt suicide. . . . [S]uicide is not a normal response to stress. Suicidal thoughts or actions are a sign of extreme distress . . . and should not be ignored.”[9] Risk factors include many general disorders, among them depression, other mental disorders, substance abuse disorder, or family history of these; chronic pain; a prior suicide attempt; family violence; access to firearms; having been recently released from prison or jail; and being exposed to other peoples’ suicidal behavior, e.g., family members, peers or celebrities.[10] Family and friends may be the first to recognize the warning signs, so can be the first step in helping an at-risk person get treatment. Warning signs include some of the following: “often talking or writing about death dying or suicide; making comments about being hopeless, helpless or worthless; expressions of having no reason for living [or] no sense of purpose in life . . . ; increased alcohol and/or drug [use]; withdrawal from friends, family and community; reckless behavior or more risky activities, seemingly without thinking; dramatic mood changes; and taking about feeling trapped or being a burden to others.”[11] People With Disabilities Foundation recognizes that these signs and symptoms are the same as those for affective disorder, including depression, mania, and bipolar disorder. This article is focused on suicidal behavior, however. Get immediate help for yourself or someone you know by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1 (800) 273-TALK (8255) or by texting the Crisis Text Line 741741. Save these emergency numbers in your phone for quick, easy access.[12]
PWDF Profile Who We ArePeople With Disabilities Foundation is an operating 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California, which focuses on the rights of the mentally and developmentally disabled. ServicesAdvocacy: PWDF advocates for Social Security claimant’s disability benefits in eight Bay Area counties. We also provide services in disability rights, on issues regarding returning to work, and in ADA consultations, including areas of employment, health care, and education, among others. There is representation before all levels of federal court and Administrative Law Judges. No one is declined due to their inability to pay, and we offer a sliding scale for attorney’s fees. Education/Public Awareness: To help eliminate the stigma against people with mental disabilities in society, PWDF’s educational program organizes workshops and public seminars, provides guest speakers with backgrounds in mental health, and produces educational materials such as videos. Continuing Education Provider: State Bar of California MCLE and Commission of Rehabilitation Counselor Certification. |
Volume 34Summer 2018© People With Disabilities Foundation 507 Polk Street Suite 430 San Francisco, CA 94102 [Clicking on the links below will take you out of the newsletter.] (415) 931-3070 Support Us: |
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Our Mission is to provide education and advocacy for people with psychiatric and/or developmental disabilities, with or without physical disabilities, so that they can achieve equal opportunities in all aspects of life. |
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- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Vital Signs” “Suicide rising across the US; More than a mental health concern,” https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/suicide/index.html (last visited Sept. 20, 2018). ↩
- The Nat’l Inst.of Mental Health, “Suicide” https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/suicide.shtml (last visited Sept. 19, 2018). ↩
- The Nat’l Inst. of Mental Health, “Suicide Prevention” https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/suicide-prevention/index.shtml (last visited Sept. 19, 2018). ↩
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “10 Leading Causes of Death by Age Group,” United States – 2016, https://www.cdc.gov/injury/images/lc-charts/leading_causes_of_death_age_group_2016_1056w814h.gif (last visited Sept. 19, 2018). ↩
- Am.Psychiatric Ass’n, “Suicide Prevention” (“More than one in five people who died by suicide had expressed their suicide intent.” Thus, more than three of five did not.) https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/suicide-prevention (last visited Sept. 20, 2018). ↩
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Vital Signs,” supra note 1. ↩
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Suicide: Risk and Protective Factors” https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/suicide/riskprotectivefactors.html (last visited Sept. 20, 2018). ↩
- Am.Psychiatric Ass’n, supra note 5. ↩
- The Nat’l Inst.of Mental Health, “Suicide Prevention,” supra note 3. ↩
- Id. ↩
- Am.Psychiatric Ass’n, supra note 5. ↩
- The National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act of 2018 requires the Federal Communication System, with the assistance of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Department of Veterans Affairs, to conduct a study due in August 2019 that analyzes the effectiveness of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and examines the feasibility of designating an “N11” dialing code (“N” to be a designated number) for national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline. ↩
