Suicide: About & Facts

Suicide is the act of deliberately killing yourself or the act of taking one's own life. The main cause of this serious kind of activity is mental depression or disorder. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorder (such as depression, personality disorder, alcohol dependence, bipolar disorder) and physical illnesses, such as neurological disorders, cancer, and HIV infection. Others are impulsive acts due to stress such as from financial difficulties, troubles with relationships, or from bullying. Those who have previously attempted suicide are at higher risk for future attempts.

SOME STATISTICS

• Suicide resulted in 842,000 deaths globally in 2013 (up from 712,000 deaths in 1990). This makes it the 10th leading cause of death worldwide.
• Approximately 0.5% to 1.4% of people die by suicide, about 12 per 100,000 persons per year.Three quarters of suicides globally occur in the developing world.
• Rates of completed suicides are generally higher in men than in women, ranging from 1.5 times as much in the developing world to 3.5 times in the developed world.
• Suicide is generally most common among those over the age of 70; however, in certain countries those aged between 15 and 30 are at highest risk.

RISK FACTORS/CAUSES FOR SUICIDE

Mental disorders or mental pressures are the key factors for most of the suicide cases these days.The pressure can be put up on anyone ranging from fifteen years to seventy years.People who are mentally weak usually lead to these kind of raging activities.The pressure include various mental psychological,social,family and financial problem.Most of the children between the age of fifteen years to twenty four years faces the presure of education as well.Those children who can't handle this stress usually leads to suicide murders.That's why India is in top positions among children suicide cases.Mental pressure among children is also the reason that in india most of the suicide cases are against the children and not among adults.

Substance use is the second most common risk factor for suicide attempts.Substance use usually involves use of high addiction drugs that releases such type of toxics that damages the thinking capability of human mind.Substance use also involves consumption of alcoholic beverages. Alcoholics who attempt suicide are usually male, older, and have tried to take their own lives in the past. Between 3 and 35% of deaths among those who use heroin are due to suicide (approximately 14 fold greater than those who do not use). In adolescents who misuse alcohol, neurological and psychological dysfunctions may contribute to the increased risk of suicide.

Problem gambling is associated with increased suicidal ideation and attempts compared to the general population. Between 12 and 24% pathological gamblers attempt suicide. The rate of suicide among their spouses is three times greater than that of the general population. Other factors that increase the risk in problem gamblers include mental illness, alcohol and drug misuse.

PREVENTIONS FOR SUICIDAL BEHAVIOUR AND THOUGHTS

Structured counseling and psychotherapy.

Hospitalization for those with low adherence to collaboration for help and those who require monitoring & secondary symptom treatment.

Supportive therapy like substance abuse treatment, Psychotropic medication, Family psychoeducation and Access to emergency phone call care with emergency rooms, suicide prevention hotlines...etc.

Restricting access to lethality of suicide means through policies and laws.

Person-centered life skills training. e,g., Problem solving.

Therapeutic recreational therapy that improves mood.

Motivating self-care activities like physical exercise's and meditative relaxation.

SUICIDE DOESN'T END THE CHANCES OF LIFE GETTING WORSE, IT ELEMINATES THE POSSIBILITY OF IT EVER GETTING ANY BETTER.