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Suicide: More Common Than You Think, More Preventable Than You Know
Just how common is suicide you may ask? According to the latest available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: In 2007, there were 34,598 reported suicide deaths in the U.S. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15-24-year-olds, and this age group accounts for...
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Suicide Attempts and the Family
As an EAP (Employee Assistance Professional) Counselor, one of the most difficult situations is calls from people whose loved one is suicidal. In this article “family” is construed as people who are involved and concerned. Dealing with a loved one who is suicidal is one of the greatest...
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The NYSPA Report: Families of Suicided Soldiers to Get Letter of Condolence from President
During July of this year, President Obama announced that he would begin sending letters of condolence to the families of troops who kill themselves in combat zones. He noted that this was a decision that was made after a difficult and exhaustive review of the former policy and he added, “I did...
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Clinicians and Suicide Loss
For mental health professionals, the loss of a client to suicide is surprisingly common, if not an unfortunate occupational hazard. Studies show that one in five psychologists and counselors (Bersoff, 1999; McIntosh, 2000, McAdams and Foster, 2000) and one in two psychiatrists (Ruskin, 2004;...
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The NYSPA Report: A Response to the NYS OMH Report on Inpatient Suicide
The poet A. Alvarez titled his book about suicide, “The Savage God” to evoke its lure and horror for its victims and their families. Suicide is one of the most upsetting paths to death for all touched by it. It has been the subject of much study, aiming to understand what drives it and how to...
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Black Teens, Especially Girls, at High Risk for Suicide Attempts
Black American teens, especially females, may be at high risk for attempting suicide even if they have never been diagnosed with a mental disorder, according to researchers funded in part by NIMH. Their findings, based on responses from adolescent participants in the National Survey of American...
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AAS Guidelines Help Identify Risk of Suicide for Inpatient and Residential Patients
These recommendations are for consideration prior to pass, trial leave or discharge and are appropriate for inpatient psychiatric units in general hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, and residential treatment centers. These recommendations are not comprehensive treatment guidelines regarding suicidal...
