hat none of them work, only that we don’t know yet.
One of the reviews listed all of the things that mean that people are at higher risk of attempting suicide. These include:
1. Have they attempted to hurt themselves before?
2. Are they depressed?
3. Do they have schizophrenia or psychosis?
4. Do they have a history of mental health problems?
5. Are they drinking a lot?
6. Are they unemployed or very sick?
7. Are they young adults or teenagers?
Unfortunately, individuals that are within these groups are more at risk than other people. These issues also mean that people are more at risk of self-harm, such as cutting, burning or hurting themselves, as well as suicide.
Safety planning is still important because it gives people tools and resources to get through very difficult periods of depression. Just because we can’t tell who might attempt suicide doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try to help people who are thinking about suicide by offering them whatever we can. The hallmark of suicide is loss of hope. Unfortunately, the brain chemistry and thinking caused by depression mean that many suicidal people can’t comprehend hope until they get proper treatment. At those times keeping people safe may be what’s needed. There are people that can help with this including local mental health teams, GPs, psychologists and psychiatrists. The best place to start is by calling Lifeline (13 11 14) to talk to someone about the resources available in your area.
Jay Spence is a Clinical Psychologist and PhD candidate who specialises in adult and adolescent mental health. He was joint recipient of the Gold Prize at the Australian and New Zealand Mental Health Service Achievement Awards (2010) and of the St Vincent’s Health Australia National Invention and Innovation Award (2010) and was the recipient of the 2011 New South Wales Institute of Psychiatry Fellowship. He has published numerous papers on the treatment of post-traumatic stress, social phobia, and panic, as well as generalized anxiety and transdiagnostic anxiety processes. He held a conjoint lecturer position at the University of New South Wales from 2009 to 2011, lecturing on the treatment of anxiety and depression. He is currently completing a PhD on internet-based interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He is developing these treatments as part of the Centre for Emotional Health at Macquarie University because PTSD is the most prevalent anxiety disorder in Australia. However, many people do not have access to effective treatments. He sees patients in private practice in Darlinghurst, Sydney.
Phil Owens – Leading Australian Hypnotherapist and NLP Practitioner
In any given person, suicide risk is not fixed but changeable. Under periods of increased personal stress, the potential for suicidal crisis increases. Although there is no way to predict who will die of suicide, recognising and responding to the clear warning signs is critical.
Data suggests that less than 3.5 percent of the population will have suicidal thoughts, with only 0.01% actually dying of suicide. While suicide has a low prevalence in the community, it is important to note that its outcomes on surviving family, friends and communities can be devastating.
Warning signs are specific symptoms or behaviors that a person demonstrates or expresses that may indicate an increased risk to suicide. In particular, anxiety, physical agitation, sleep problems and poor concentration, as well as hopelessness, social isolation, and excessive or increasing use of alcohol or drugs. These are all factors that could indicate greater risk of suicide. Key static risk factors regarding suicide include reported previous suicide attempt by themselves or a family member, and history of mental illness.
On the other hand, a series of potential protective factors have been identified. These can include stress-management skills, religious beliefs that increase the stigma of suicide, and frustration tolerance, along with a sense of responsibility to family or friends, a healthy network of social supports, and positive therapeutic r