suicide

Suicide is the act of intentionally ending your life.

There are three levels of intervention in suicide; 1) universal 2) selective and 3) indicated.

Universal interventions target everyone in a defined population. They aim to increase awareness about suicide, remove barriers to care, promote help-seeking and encourage protective factors. Some examples of universal interventions include school-based interventions and national initiatives such as restricted access to lethal means. Evidence suggests that universal interventions are effective at increasing awareness and helping skills, though there is little evidence to suggest they’re effective at reducing suicide-related thoughts or behaviours.

Selective interventions address specific groups at increased risk for suicidal behaviours, for instance those with mental health problems or harmful use of substances. To date, there have been few studies into selective interventions and results are mixed.

Indicated interventions target high-risk individuals already displaying signs of suicidal behaviour. Examples include brief contact interventions (e.g. crisis cards) and talking therapies. Evidence suggests that brief contact interventions are effective for young people in clinical settings. A network meta-analysis conducted in 2021 found that the most effective talking therapies for suicide and self-harm in young people are dialectical behavioural therapies and mentalisation-based therapies.

 

Our suicide Blogs

Suicide clusters in young people: definition, epidemiology and prevention

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A group of UCL Mental Health Masters students summarise a recent literature review, which explores suicide clusters in young people (aged 25 or younger).

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Suicidality in India: findings from a national cross sectional study

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In her debut blog, Dee Knipe summarises a national cross-sectional study recently published in The Lancet Psychiatry, which found that more than 44 million adults in India could experience suicidality.

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Suicide risk: could migration be a protective factor?

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Dafni Katsampa’s latest blog looks at a new study exploring the influence of migration on risk of suicide in refugees in Sweden.

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Suicide in university students in England and Wales

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Jude Smit writes her debut elf blog on a recent research study which looks at the incidence of suicide in university students in England and Wales, and concludes that we need a whole university approach to mental health.

Readers interested in more on student mental health should follow #smartenconf19 on Twitter for updates from the SMaRteN Network Student Mental Health Conference in Cambridge.

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Suicide and mental illness in low- and middle-income countries

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Tessa Roberts summarises a recent a systematic review and meta-analysis, which looks into the prevalence of mental illness and suicidal behaviour in low- and middle-income countries.

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In adults with major depression, antidepressants may increase the risk of suicide

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Douglas Badenoch explores a meta-analysis of follow-up data from clinical trials of antidepressants, which found a small but significant increase in suicide risk.

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The science of suicide prevention: Innovative technologies and ethical implications #IASP2019

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Tiago Zortea and Karen Wetherall help us prepare for the 30th World Congress of the International Association for Suicide Prevention #IASP2019, which is taking place in Derry this week. This blog summarises what we know about the potential for digital technologies (smartphones, machine learning and virtual reality) to help improve suicide prevention.

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Life after leaving hospital: when does a duty of care end?

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Sally McManus writes her debut elf blog on a recent national cohort study of multiple adverse outcomes following first discharge from psychiatric care, which finds that mental health inpatients are more likely to experience all types of adversity after leaving hospital.

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Adolescent cannabis use and risk of depression and suicide

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Benjamin Janaway blogs about a major data analysis that links adolescent cannabis use with increased risk of depression and suicide. He considers the opportunities for early recognition of cannabis use and public intervention.

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Mental health and suicide risk in LGBTQ students: What are the associated factors?

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Sarah Carr writes an important blog for #PrideMonth that looks at general and LGBTQ-specific factors associated with mental health and suicide risk among LGBTQ students.

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