Suicide Assessment and Prevention _ ____________________________________________________________
College Students More than 1,000 suicides occur each year on college campuses, and 1 in 10 college students have made a suicide plan [34]. A 2011 survey of 27,774 college students from 44 campuses found that 6.6% had seriously contemplated suicide and 1.1% had attempted suicide [16]. In the 12 months before the sur- vey, 60.5% reported feeling very sad, 45.2% reported feeling hopeless, and 30.3% reported feeling so depressed they were unable to function [16]. More than 45% reported feelings of hopelessness; however, only 6.7% of men and 13.1% of women reported a diagnosis of depression, suggesting that many stu- dents are not receiving adequate diagnosis and/or treatment [16]. A 2015 follow-up survey including 93,034 college students from 108 campuses found a much higher rate of suicidal- ity, with 24% of the survey population reporting seriously contemplating suicide, nearly 20% reporting self-injury, and 9% reporting a suicide attempt [33]. Rates of suicidality were highest among racial/ethnic, sexual, and gender minorities. Students with a pre-existing mental health condition or who develop mental health conditions in college are at highest risk of suicide. In the 2015 study, 25% students were diagnosed with and/or received treatment for a mental health condition in the previous 12 months [33]. Risk factors for suicide among college students include depression, sadness, hopelessness, and stress [13]. Other Considerations in Youth Suicide Most adolescent suicides occur at home after school hours. Adolescent nonfatal suicide attempters are typically girls who ingest pills, while those who die by suicide are typically boys who die from gunshot wounds. Intentional self-harm should be considered serious and in need of further evaluation because not all adolescent attempters admit their intent. Most adoles- cent suicide attempts are triggered by interpersonal conflicts and are motivated by the desire to change the behavior or attitude of others. Repeat attempters may use this behavior as a coping mechanism for stress and tend to exhibit more chronic symptomatology, worse coping histories, and higher rates of suicidal and substance abuse behaviors in their family histories [13]. The presence of multiple emotional, behavioral, and/or cognitive problems may be a more important predictor
SUICIDE AND SPECIAL POPULATIONS
WOMEN A woman takes her own life every 51.25 minutes in the United States [1]. Suicide is more common among women who are single, recently separated, divorced, or widowed, and the sui- cide rates for women peak between the ages of 45 to 64 years. Precipitating life events for women who attempt suicide often involve interpersonal losses or crises in significant social or fam- ily relationships. As noted, more women attempt suicide than men, and there is a 2 to 3:1 ratio of women versus men with a history of attempted suicide. The higher rates of attempted suicide among women are likely due to the higher rates of mood disorders such as major depression, persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia), and seasonal affective disorder. Factors that may contribute to the lower rates of suicide deaths in women relative to men include stronger social supports, feeling that their relationships are a deterrent to suicide, differences in preferred suicide method, and greater willingness to seek psychiatric and medical intervention [2; 13]. YOUTH In 2020, suicide was the third leading cause of death for young people 10 to 24 years of age, exceeded only by unintentional injury and homicide [32]. As noted, an estimated 100 to 200 attempts are made for every suicide completion in this age group. Between 2008 and 2015, encounters for suicide ide- ation and/or attempt at children’s hospitals nearly doubled [51]. Risk factors for suicide among the young include suicidal thoughts, psychiatric disorders (e.g., depression, impulsive aggressive behavior, bipolar disorder, panic disorder), drug and/or alcohol abuse, and previous suicide attempts. The risk is further elevated with situational stress or access to firearms [2; 13]. Children 10 to 14 Years of Age In 2020, suicide was the second leading cause of death for children 10 to 14 years of age, with a rate of approximately 3 per 100,000 [11; 32]. The rate of suicide and percentage of total deaths varies considerably by race ( Table 1 ) [122].
DEATHS BY SUICIDE AMONG U.S. CHILDREN 10 TO 14 YEARS OF AGE BY RACE IN 2020
Race
Rate Per 100,000 Population Total Suicide Deaths
Percentage of Total Deaths
Alaska Native/Native American
6.3 1.3 3.0 2.1 2.8
21 15 93 24
35%
Asian
14.5% 11.5% 19.7% 18.4%
Black/African American
Multiracial
White
424
Source: [122]
Table 1
54
EliteLearning.com/Psychology
Powered by FlippingBook