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Trends in Cognitive Sciences Sep 2020Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide and perhaps the most puzzling and devastating of all human behaviors. Suicide research has primarily been guided by verbal... (Review)
Review
Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide and perhaps the most puzzling and devastating of all human behaviors. Suicide research has primarily been guided by verbal theories containing vague constructs and poorly specified relationships. We propose two fundamental changes required to move toward a mechanistic understanding of suicide. First, we must formalize theories of suicide, expressing them as mathematical or computational models. Second, we must conduct rigorous descriptive research, prioritizing direct observation and precise measurement of suicidal thoughts and behaviors and of the factors posited to cause them. Together, theory formalization and rigorous descriptive research will facilitate abductive theory construction and strong theory testing, thereby improving the understanding and prevention of suicide and related behaviors.
Topics: Humans; Suicidal Ideation; Suicide
PubMed: 32680678
DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2020.06.007 -
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Sep 2021Suicide is a major public health concern. One of the common contributors to the increased risk for suicide is the genetic constitution of individuals, which determines... (Review)
Review
Suicide is a major public health concern. One of the common contributors to the increased risk for suicide is the genetic constitution of individuals, which determines certain endophenotypic traits used as quantifiable measure of neurobiological functions. Therefore, a logical deconstruction of the originating endophenotypes associated with suicidal risk could provide a better understanding of this complex disorder. In this regard, non-human animals can be a useful resource to test endophenotypes of suicidal behavior and the neurobiology underlying these endophenotypes. In this review, we have focused on the neurobiological abnormalities, primarily genetic and epigenetic abnormalities, associated with suicidal behavior and the scope of their modeling in animals. This can substantially advance the current understanding of suicidal behavior manifested with certain trait-based endophenotypes and may provide an opportunity to test novel hypotheses as well as aid in the development of treatment opportunities and risk assessment.
Topics: Animals; Endophenotypes; Neurobiology; Suicidal Ideation; Suicide
PubMed: 33421543
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.12.033 -
Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences Nov 2022Evidence suggests that suicide stigma (i.e. negative attitudes towards persons affected by suicide/suicidality) and suicide normalisation (i.e. liberal attitudes towards...
AIMS
Evidence suggests that suicide stigma (i.e. negative attitudes towards persons affected by suicide/suicidality) and suicide normalisation (i.e. liberal attitudes towards suicide) are both associated with increased suicide risk. Despite conceptual similarities and potential interaction, suicide stigma and suicide normalisation have usually been investigated separately. We used cross-sectional data from a community sample to test the association between suicide stigma and suicide normalisation as well as to identify their respective determinants and consequences.
METHODS
Participants were = 3.269 adults recruited from an established online-panel using quotas to reflect the composition of the German general population with regard to age, gender, education and region. We collected information about suicide stigma, suicide normalisation, intentions to seek help for suicidality, current suicidality, suicide literacy, negative mood and socio-demographic variables. We used regression modelling to determine the association between suicide stigma and suicide normalisation as well as to identify their determinants and consequences.
RESULTS
Suicide stigma and suicide normalisation were inversely associated so that higher suicide stigma scores were linked to lower suicide normalisation. More suicide stigma was associated with reduced intentions to seeking professional help, increased willingness to seek help from family and friends and lower odds to experience current suicidality, however the association between suicide stigma and intentions to seek professional help diminished after controlling for confounding variables. Increased suicide normalisation was linked to reduced intentions to seek help from professionals or family and friends, as well as higher odds to experience current suicidality, even after controlling for confounding variables.
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that interventions to reduce public suicide stigma are at risk to unintentionally increase suicide normalisation, which appears to be a key barrier to seeking help for suicidality. Future research should therefore identify strategies to improve attitudes towards persons affected by suicidality that avoid normalisation, i.e. do not convey the message of suicide as an acceptable solution for difficult life situations. One strategy with great potential to safely reduce public suicide sigma could be interventions that stimulate interpersonal contact with affected persons sharing their recovery story.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Cross-Sectional Studies; Social Stigma; Suicide; Suicidal Ideation; Intention
PubMed: 36330742
DOI: 10.1017/S2045796022000610 -
Social Science & Medicine (1982) Jul 2022Black Americans are killed at higher rates by police than whites. Previous studies have shown that discrimination can lead to suicidal ideation, and that mental health...
Black Americans are killed at higher rates by police than whites. Previous studies have shown that discrimination can lead to suicidal ideation, and that mental health of Black Americans deteriorates after police killings. The objective of this study is to examine whether police killings are associated with an increase in suicide rates amongst Black Americans. Controlling for a number of factors, we found that on months with at least one killing of a Black person by police, there were, on average, 0.0472 additional suicides per 100,000 Black Americans in the U.S. Census Division where the killing occurred. We did not find any spillover effects on other divisions. This association persisted when controlling for gun ownership, and did not seem to be a result of variance in deaths by assault. There was no association between killings of Black Americans and white suicides; white killings and Black suicides; or white killings and white suicides. This study highlights another reason for urgent action on reducing police killings.
Topics: Black or African American; Homicide; Humans; Police; Suicidal Ideation; Suicide; United States
PubMed: 35660700
DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114964 -
International Journal of Environmental... Dec 2022Suicide, as an increasingly prominent social problem, has attracted widespread social attention in the mental health field. Traditional suicide clinical assessment and...
Suicide, as an increasingly prominent social problem, has attracted widespread social attention in the mental health field. Traditional suicide clinical assessment and risk questionnaires lack timeliness and proactivity, and high-risk groups often conceal their intentions, which is not conducive to early suicide prevention. In this study, we used machine-learning algorithms to extract text features from Sina Weibo data and built a suicide risk-prediction model to predict four dimensions of the Suicide Possibility Scale-hopelessness, suicidal ideation, negative self-evaluation, and hostility-all with model validity of 0.34 or higher. Through this method, we can detect the symptoms of suicidal ideation in a more detailed way and improve the proactiveness and accuracy of suicide risk prevention and control.
Topics: Humans; Suicide, Attempted; Suicide; Suicidal Ideation; Suicide Prevention; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 36612788
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20010466 -
Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia E... Feb 2019Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with under-investigated and underappreciated links to psychiatric comorbidities, including anxiety, depression, and... (Review)
Review
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with under-investigated and underappreciated links to psychiatric comorbidities, including anxiety, depression, and suicidality. In this review, we synthesize and discuss the literature investigating the association between psoriasis and three measures of suicidality: suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and completed suicide. Studies have shown that psoriasis is significantly linked to all three measures of suicidality, but the available data on suicide attempts and completed suicides is limited and less consistent. Studied risk factors for suicidality in psoriasis patients include age, gender, and severity of psoriasis. Younger patients and patients with more severe psoriasis are at significantly higher risk of suicidality; gender was not associated with suicidality in most studies. Higher levels of psoriasis-related stressors and decrements to quality of life were significantly associated with suicidality in psoriasis patients. Most biologic treatments for psoriasis appear to be helpful in decreasing rates of depression, but data on their impact on suicidality is less well known. Understanding the risk of suicidality in psoriasis patients is key to engaging all stakeholders to screen psoriasis patients for mental health conditions. Clinicians may incorporate simple screening tools to screen for suicidal ideation and refer appropriately.
Topics: Age Factors; Anxiety; Depression; Humans; Mass Screening; Psoriasis; Quality of Life; Risk Factors; Sex Factors; Suicidal Ideation; Suicide; Suicide, Attempted
PubMed: 30019576
DOI: 10.23736/S0392-0488.18.06112-6 -
Journal of Research in Health Sciences Mar 2022Suicide is a significant public health problem and one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The effect of religion on suicidal behaviors (i.e., ideation, plan,... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Suicide is a significant public health problem and one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The effect of religion on suicidal behaviors (i.e., ideation, plan, attempt, and death) is an important issue worthy of consideration.
METHODS
Major electronic databases, including MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus, were searched for the articles published until 26 April 2021. Reference lists were also screened. Observational studies addressing the associations between religion and suicidal behaviors were also examined. Between-study heterogeneity was investigated using the χ2, τ2, and I2 statistics. The probability of publication bias was explored using the Begg and Egger tests, as well as trim-and-fill analysis. The effect size was expressed as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a random-effects model.
RESULTS
Out of 11 389 identified studies, 63 articles were eligible, involving 8,053,697 participants. There was an inverse association between religion and suicidal ideation OR = 0.83 (95% CI: 0.78, 0.88; P < 0.001), suicidal plan OR = 0.93 (95% CI: 0.83, 1.04; P = 0.200), suicide attempt OR = 0.84 (95% CI: 0.79, 0.89; P < 0.001), and completed suicide OR = 0.31 (95% CI: 0.14, 0.72; P = 0.006). There was a no evidence of publication bias.
CONCLUSIONS
The results of this meta-analysis support the notion that religion can play a protective role against suicidal behaviors. Nonetheless, the effect of religion on suicidal behaviors varies across countries with different religions and cultures. Although this association does not necessarily imply causation, an awareness of the relationship between religion and suicide risk can be of great help in suicide prevention policies and programs.
Topics: Humans; Suicide, Attempted; Suicidal Ideation; Religion; Odds Ratio; Suicide Prevention
PubMed: 36511249
DOI: 10.34172/jrhs.2022.72 -
BMC Psychiatry Jul 2022Suicide risk prediction models derived from electronic health records (EHR) and insurance claims are a novel innovation in suicide prevention but patient perspectives on...
BACKGROUND
Suicide risk prediction models derived from electronic health records (EHR) and insurance claims are a novel innovation in suicide prevention but patient perspectives on their use have been understudied.
METHODS
In this qualitative study, between March and November 2020, 62 patients were interviewed from three health systems: one anticipating implementation of an EHR-derived suicide risk prediction model and two others piloting different implementation approaches. Site-tailored interview guides focused on patients' perceptions of this technology, concerns, and preferences for and experiences with suicide risk prediction model implementation in clinical practice. A constant comparative analytic approach was used to derive themes.
RESULTS
Interview participants were generally supportive of suicide risk prediction models derived from EHR data. Concerns included apprehension about inducing anxiety and suicidal thoughts, or triggering coercive treatment, particularly among those who reported prior negative experiences seeking mental health care. Participants who were engaged in mental health care or case management expected to be asked about their suicide risk and largely appreciated suicide risk conversations, particularly by clinicians comfortable discussing suicidality.
CONCLUSION
Most patients approved of suicide risk models that use EHR data to identify patients at-risk for suicide. As health systems proceed to implement such models, patient-centered care would involve dialogue initiated by clinicians experienced with assessing suicide risk during virtual or in person care encounters. Health systems should proactively monitor for negative consequences that result from risk model implementation to protect patient trust.
Topics: Algorithms; Humans; Motivation; Qualitative Research; Suicidal Ideation; Suicide; Suicide Prevention
PubMed: 35870919
DOI: 10.1186/s12888-022-04129-1 -
Archives of Women's Mental Health Oct 2016Suicidal behaviors are the leading causes of injury and death worldwide, and are leading causes of maternal deaths in some countries. One of the strongest risk factors,... (Review)
Review
Suicidal behaviors are the leading causes of injury and death worldwide, and are leading causes of maternal deaths in some countries. One of the strongest risk factors, suicidal ideation, is considered a harbinger and distal predictor of later suicide attempt and completion, and also presents an opportunity for interventions prior to physical self-harm. The purpose of this systematic epidemiologic review is to synthesize available research on antepartum suicidal ideation. Original publications were identified through searches of the electronic databases using the search terms pregnancy, pregnant women, suicidal ideation, and pregnan* and suicid* as root searches. We also reviewed references of published articles. We identified a total of 2626 articles through the electronic database search. After irrelevant and redundant articles were excluded, 57 articles were selected. The selected articles were original articles that focused on pregnancy and suicidal ideation. Of the 57 included articles, 20 reported prevalence, 26 reported risk factors, 21 reported consequences of antepartum suicidal ideation, and 5 reported on screening measures. Available evidence indicates that pregnant women are more likely than the general population to endorse suicidal ideation. Additionally, a number of risk factors for antepartum suicidal ideation were identified including intimate partner violence, <12-year education, and major depressive disorder. There is a need for enhanced screening for antepartum suicidal ideation. The few screening instruments that exist are limited as they were primarily developed to measure antepartum and postpartum depression. Given a substantial proportion of women with suicidal ideation that does not meet clinical thresholds of depression and given the stress-diathesis model that shows susceptibility to suicidal behavior independent of depressive disorders, innovative approaches to improve screening and detection of antepartum suicidal ideation are urgently needed.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Child; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Pregnancy; Suicidal Ideation; Young Adult
PubMed: 27324912
DOI: 10.1007/s00737-016-0646-0 -
Crisis Dec 2022Gatekeeper training (GKT) is one of the most widely used suicide prevention strategies. It involves training people who are not necessarily clinicians to be able to...
Gatekeeper training (GKT) is one of the most widely used suicide prevention strategies. It involves training people who are not necessarily clinicians to be able to identify people experiencing suicidality and refer them to appropriate services. While there is a dearth of research that supports the causal link between GKT and reduced suicide rates, this is likely the result of a variety of factors including training design, definitions of "gatekeepers," differing populations in which the gatekeeper (GK) operates, and other variables that may influence suicide rates. Despite this, research suggests that GKT improves people's knowledge, skills, and confidence in helping individuals who experience suicidal ideation and enhances positive beliefs about the efficacy of suicide prevention. However, there is no consensus on GK competencies to allow differences in effectiveness between various training programs to be measured, that is, knowledge, skills and abilities, attitudes, and self-efficacy attributes expected of a person resulting from the training. This paper discusses challenges in developing GK competencies. It uses developments in suicide prevention competencies for clinicians, vocational education, and training sector competencies, as well as empirical work in GKT, to propose minimum GK competencies that may be examined for further research and evaluation of programs.
Topics: Humans; Suicidal Ideation; Self Efficacy; Suicide Prevention
PubMed: 34190580
DOI: 10.1027/0227-5910/a000794