Building Bonds Of Hope For Suicide Prevention

Across the so-called modern education, better living, and bustling streets, a dark shadow looms. Behind the sounds of secular success and developmental riches, many hearts silently bear the weight of despair. The harsh reality that people are opting to give up their lives certainly makes us feel helpless and think, in hindsight, what we could have done to give them a ray of hope, a shoulder, a helping hand, or just an empathetic ear, to ascend them back and breathe peacefully. It is time we took a pause from our progress to the unknown and faced reality, talked openly, and attempted to weave a safety net of compassion for those teetering on the edge. 

Suicide is a tragic and complex issue that affects individuals and communities worldwide. In India, the high prevalence of suicide has become a matter of great concern.

By understanding the causes and implementing effective prevention measures, we can work towards reducing suicide rates and promoting mental well-being. It is crucial for the government, communities, healthcare providers, and individuals to come together and prioritize mental health, support those in need, and create a society that fosters hope, understanding, and resilience.

As we observe Suicide Prevention Day, let us shed light on the factors contributing to suicide in India and the steps that can be taken to prevent it.

Suicide rates in India are a pressing concern

Each suicide is a personal tragedy that prematurely takes the life of an individual and has a continuing ripple effect, affecting the lives of families, friends, and communities.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) every year, more than 1,00,000 people commit suicide in our country. A total of 1,64,033 suicides were reported in the country during 2021 showing an increase of 7.2% in comparison to 2020 and the rate of suicides has increased by 6.2% during 2021 over 2020.

Facts About Suicide

• Most suicidal persons want to live but are unable to see alternatives to their problems.
• Most suicidal persons give warnings of their intentions, but others are either unaware or do not know how to respond.
• Talking about suicide does not cause someone to be suicidal.
• Just because a person talks about suicide (expresses his/her feelings), does not mean he/she is no longer at risk for suicide.
• Most suicide attempts are expressions of extreme distress, not harmless bids for attention.

What Are the Risk Factors for Suicide?

• Depression and other mental disorders, or a substance-abuse disorder
• Stressful life events, in combination with other risk factors such as depression
• A prior suicide attempt.
• Family history of mental disorder, substance abuse, or suicide
• A history of family violence or abuse
• Access to a firearm or other lethal means such as medications

What Are Some Warning Signs?

• Deteriorating academic performance
• Depression, dramatic mood changes
• Hopelessness
• Preoccupation with death
• Anxiety or agitation
• Uncontrolled anger or rage

When Should Someone Seek Immediate Assistance?

When they are…

• Threatening or talking about wanting to hurt or kill him/herself
• Looking for ways to kill him/herself by seeking access to firearms or other means
• Talking or writing about death, dying, or suicide

How Can I Help Someone Who May be Suicidal?

• Show interest and be supportive.
• Be direct; ask them if they are considering suicide or have a plan.
• Don’t be judgmental, give advice, or try to talk them out of suicide.
• Don’t swear to secrecy.
• Offer hope that alternatives are available.
• Don’t leave the person alone.
• Act, remove means, and assist them in getting the help they need.
• Inform Residence Life and Housing staff if you live in a residence hall.
• Consult with a counsellor as needed.

Why Is Suicide So Common Among Adolescents?

If we look at only students, according to NCRB’s 2020 data one student died by suicide in every 42 minutes, or 34 student deaths a day. Students accounted for 8 per cent of the total deaths by suicides during the year.

In India, academic abilities are a major factor driving adolescents towards suicide, however, research published in the Industrial Psychiatry Journal indicates that adolescents experience considerable stress in multiple areas irrespective of their academic ability and performance.

The study compared academically typically achieving adolescents with students having academic difficulty with stress and suicidal ideas. It suggests assessment and management of stress among adolescents must extend beyond academic difficulties.

According to Governor State University in Chicago’s Southland, “College is a period of major adjustment. For the first time, many students are living away from home, making it harder for them to get assistance from friends and family. In addition to having more freedom and autonomy, students are also under more stress due to a variety of factors, including increased academic responsibilities, adjusting to a new environment, and building new support networks. Additionally, the college offers the chance to experiment with alcohol and other substances, which can exacerbate mental health issues and raise the risk of suicide.”

Many kids have already experienced mental health issues or have received therapy. Suicide risk may be increased by environmental stressors in conjunction with a propensity for mental health issues, says the report put up by the University. The education system must impart self-confidence, determination, and courage.

Physical activity, sedentary, and healthy dietary behaviours linked to suicidal thoughts

According to World Health Organisation, adolescents who attempt or die by suicide often suffer from feelings of sadness, hopelessness, depression, or other undiagnosed mental health disorders.

Modifiable health risk factors, such as smoking, drinking, and using drugs, have been shown to be associated with poor mental health and suicidal behaviours. However, there are also other important factors that are associated with mental health and suicidal behaviours among adolescents which are physical activity, sedentary and dietary behaviours.

According to research published in Science Direct, focusing on these modifiable behaviours could help schools identify other strategies to benefit the health and well-being of all students, including their mental health outcomes.

The study examined associations between physical activity, sedentary, and healthy dietary behaviours and indicators of mental health, suicidal thoughts, and suicidal attempts among a representative sample of US high school students. The study states that significant associations were found between insufficient physical activity, sedentary, and less healthy dietary behaviours and mental health-related outcomes.

Suicidal thoughts were associated with not eating breakfast on all 7 days, drinking soda or pop, not meeting the aerobic physical activity guideline, playing video/computer games or using a computer more than two hours per day.

The study indicated that “while limiting sedentary behaviours and increasing physical activity and healthy dietary behaviours is not the sole solution for improving mental health among adolescents, it could be another possible strategy used in schools to benefit all students.”

Lifestyle Interventions Linked to suicide risk

Over the past years, there has been a growing interest in the association between lifestyle psychosocial interventions, severe mental illness, and suicide risk. Research that was published in Frontiers in Psychiatry provides a comprehensive review of the literature on lifestyle interventions, mental health, and suicide risk in the general population and in patients with psychiatric disorders.

The research investigated lifestyle behaviours and lifestyle interventions in three different age groups: adolescents, young adults, and the elderly.

Several lifestyle behaviours including cigarette smoking, alcohol use, and a sedentary lifestyle are associated with suicide risk in all age groups.

In adolescents, growing attention has emerged on the association between suicide risk and internet addiction, cyberbullying, and scholastic and family difficulties.

In adults, psychiatric symptoms, substance and alcohol abuse, weight, and occupational difficulties seem to have a significant role in suicide risk.

Finally, in the elderly, the presence of organic disease and poor social support is associated with an increased risk of suicide attempts.

How are lifestyle and suicide risk connected?

Several factors may explain the association between lifestyle behaviours and suicide. First, many studies have reported that some lifestyle behaviours and their consequences (sedentary lifestyle, cigarette smoking underweight, obesity) are associated with cardiometabolic risk factors and with poor mental health.

Second, several lifestyle behaviours may encourage social isolation, limiting the development of social networks, and removing individuals from social interactions: increasing their risk of mental health problems and suicide.

The link between sleep patterns and suicidal thoughts

A study conducted by researchers from the University’s School of Health Sciences alongside the University of Oxford indicates that sleep problems and suicidal thoughts and behaviours are connected.

The study revealed three interconnected sleep-related pathways that can lead to suicidal ideation. The first was that being awake at night heightened the risks of suicidal thoughts and attempts, which in part was seen because of the lack of help or resources available at night.

Secondly, the research found that a prolonged failure to achieve a good night’s sleep made life harder for respondents, adding to depression, as well as increasing negative thinking, attention difficulties, and inactivity.

Finally, respondents said sleep acted as an alternative to suicide, providing an escape from their problems. However, the desire to use sleep as an avoidance tactic led to increased daytime sleeping which in turn caused disturbed sleeping patterns — reinforcing the first two pathways.

Donna Littlewood, lead author of the study, said the research has implications for service providers, such as healthcare specialists and social services. “Our research underscores the importance of restoring healthy sleep in relation to coping with mental health problems, suicidal thoughts, and behaviours. Additionally, night-time service provision should be a key consideration within suicide prevention strategies, given that this study shows that those who are awake at night are at an increased risk of suicide,” she said.

The link between diet and Deliberate Self-Harm (DSH)

Balanced meals and smoking were the lifestyle behaviours that were found to have the strongest independent association with repeated DSH across the lifespan, according to research published in BMC Psychiatry. Other factors like sex, age, and depression symptoms did not have a strong positive correlation.

Blood biomarkers that can predict suicide risk in major depression

Researchers have developed an approach to identify blood biomarkers that could predict the suicide risk of major depressive disorder (MDD) patients.

The result of the study conducted by A University of California, Irvine-led team of researchers, along with members of the Pritzker Research Consortium, demonstrates that non-preserved blood can be used to discover suicide-specific biomarkers using a novel gene expression approach and a gene expression quantification approach less sensitive to the effects of RNA degradation (NanoString). In addition to identifying individuals at the highest risk for suicide, the results can help researchers understand molecular changes in suicide victims.

“These blood biomarkers are an important step toward developing blood tests to identify patients with imminent risk of ending their lives,” said corresponding author Adolfo Sequeira, Ph.D., associate researcher in the Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior at the UCI School of Medicine. “To our knowledge, this is the first study to analyze blood and brain samples in a well-defined population of MDDs demonstrating significant differences in gene expression associated with completed suicide.”

After analyzing data from blood and brain samples from suicide victims, researchers found gene expression changes in stress response, including polyamine metabolism, circadian rhythm, immune dysregulation, and telomere maintenance.

Strategies to Prevent Suicide

Everyone can help prevent suicide by learning the warning signs, promoting prevention and resilience, and committing to social change.

Strengthen economic supports

• Improve household financial security
• Stabilize housing

Create protective environments

• Reduce access to lethal means among persons at risk of suicide
• Create healthy organizational policies and culture
• Reduce substance use through community-based policies and practices

Improve access and delivery of suicide care icon

• Cover mental health conditions in health insurance policies
• Increase provider availability in underserved areas
• Provide rapid and remote access to help
• Create safer suicide care through systems change

Promote healthy connections

• Promote healthy peer norms
• Engage community members in shared activities

Teach coping and problem-solving skills

• Support social-emotional learning programs
• Teach parenting skills to improve family relationships
• Support resilience through education programs

Identify and support people at risk

• Train gatekeepers
• Respond to crises
• Plan for safety and follow-up after an attempt
• Provide therapeutic approaches

Lessen harms and prevent future risk

• Intervene after a suicide (postvention)
• Report and message about suicide safely

Do call helplines work?

There are various call helplines for suicide but according to recent research, just because calls increase doesn’t necessarily mean suicide rates decrease.

Matthew Nock, a Harvard psychology professor says, “While calling might bring someone comfort in the moment, there’s no scientific evidence that suicide hotlines prevent suicide in the long run. “There is no evidence that this is helpful or the right thing to do,” Nock says.

Strong student-adult relationships lower suicide attempts in high schools

A recent study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry has found that high schools where students have stronger social connections with both their peers and adult staff have lower rates of suicide attempts. The study surveyed over 10,000 students from 38 high schools to examine the social integration and relationship networks within each school.

The researchers discovered that schools with fewer friendship connections, where friendships were concentrated among a small number of students, had higher rates of suicide attempts and ideation. Additionally, suicide attempts were more prevalent in schools where students were isolated from adults, and nominations of trusted adults were concentrated among a few students. In fact, a 10 percent increase in the number of students isolated from adults correlated with a 20 percent increase in suicide attempts.

Conversely, schools with strong bonds between students and their close friends who shared the same trusted adults, as well as a smaller number of adults nominated by a larger proportion of students, had lower rates of suicide attempts. This indicates that having a well-identified and competent adult connected to many students can play a crucial role in suicide prevention.

The study highlights the need to focus on social networks within schools when developing interventions to prevent suicide. It suggests strategies such as training student peer group leaders to promote positive social behaviours and connecting responsive adults to student social groups. The research emphasizes the importance of considering the health of social ties and systems in suicide prevention efforts, alongside individual risk factors.

A critical step in preventing military suicides

Suicidal behaviour among active-duty service members can be reduced for up to six months with a relatively simple intervention that gives them concrete steps to follow during an emotional crisis, according to a new study from the University of Utah’s National Center for Veterans Studies.

The study’s findings show there was a 75 percent reduction in suicide attempts among participants who engaged in crisis response planning versus a contract for safety. Crisis response planning also was associated with a significantly faster decline in suicidal thoughts and fewer inpatient hospitalization days.

“Our results mark a critical next step in preventing military suicides,” said Craig J. Bryan, an associate professor of psychology and director of the U’s National Center for Veterans Studies.

Together, let us be the agents of change and build a society that nurtures mental well-being and embraces every life with love and acceptance.

Source:

www.sciencedaily.com; www.vice.com; www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; www.timesofindia.com; www.govtst.edu; www.bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com; www.sciencedirect.com; www.cdc.gov; www. childadolescentpsych.cumc.columbia.edu; www.ncrb.gov.in

Help is here:

Name of the Organisation: Aasra

AASRA volunteers conduct workshops on different levels with high-risk target groups eg school, college students, highly-stressed employees of call centres, financial institutions, multinationals etc. AASRA volunteers have Outreach programs to reach out to the multitudes who may choose to end their lives because of chronic suffering or terminal illness.

Contact: email:  aasrahelpline@yahoo.com

 Telephone: 91-9820466726

Name of the Organisation: Saath

Saath is a voluntary organization, which was started in Ahmedabad on 27th November 1998. It is a non-religious, non-political organization that values human life and feelings.

Contact: Email: saath12@yahoo.com

Telephone:  91-79 26305544, 26300222