“Are you thinking about suicide”? How asking this question could save someone’s life

Patrick Jachyra, Assistant Professor, in our Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, challenges the most common myths about suicide.

Trigger and Content Warning: Discussion of suicidal thoughts and behaviours

In many parts of the world, September 10^th is recognised as World Suicide Prevention Day. Death by suicide is the most tragic ending to one’s story and has multiple impacts on families, friends, colleagues, communities, and societies, and remains very common. This annual day seeks to bring people together to work towards reducing the number of individuals who die by suicide.

Currently, one person dies by suicide every 40 seconds. The magnitude of this important public health issue is illustrated by data from the United States where death by suicide was a leading cause of death in the year 2020. Additionally, it is estimated that 12.2 million adults thought about suicide, 3.2 million people planned a potential death by suicide attempt and 1.2 million people attempted death by suicide in the year 2020 in the United States. While death by suicide has somewhat declined since the year 2000 on a global scale, lots of work remains to save lives both locally and globally.

In an effort to advance the prevention, support and intervention of suicide, this blog seeks to raise awareness by providing key statistics about suicide, bust myths about suicide to challenge stigma, and provide a few key resources to advance suicide prevention and intervention.

As part of World Suicide Prevention Day, this blog joins Paddy Pimblett’s call to speak to others and seek help to work through potential distress we may be experiencing as asking someone: “Are you thinking about suicide?”, can potentially save a life.

Suicide as a Global Public Health Issue: Global Statistics

It is estimated that approximately 800,000 people die by suicide each year and death by suicide is the second leading cause of death in young people aged 15-29 globally. Individuals at an increased risk to experience suicidal thoughts and behaviours are those that experience mental health difficulties (such as depression and alcohol use disorders), autistic people, and groups who experience various forms of discrimination (such as individuals who identify as LGBTQ+, refugees and migrants; indigenous peoples).

Gendered Dimensions of Suicide

In the United Kingdom, the rate of death by suicide in men is approximately three times higher than in women, whereby 74% of death by suicides involve men. Among autistic people, autistic women appear to be at greater risk for death by suicide.

Region with Highest Rates of Death by Suicide in England

Drawing on data from the year 2020, the North East region had the highest rate of death by suicide in England. The North East Region has had the highest rate of death by suicide in England in 5 out of the last 10 preceding years. Yorkshire and The Humber had the second highest number of deaths by suicide registered in the year 2020. The Region with the lowest death by suicides registered in the year 2020, was the London Region. These national statistics highlight the need for much more work and supports needed in the North East to advance suicide prevention and intervention.

Challenging Myths About Suicide

Suicide remains a very difficult and taboo topic of discussion in our society. While some societal progress has been made with changes in how we talk about suicide (for example no longer using the phrase “committed suicide” to remove criminal intent), lots of work remains to challenge our dominant norms, values, and assumptions about suicide. To raise awareness about this important life and death issue, below are a few commonly held myths, along with the supporting facts about suicide based on research.

• Myth: Talking about suicide is dangerous and can further increase risk

Fact: Talking and asking about suicide in clinical settings and supportive discussions does not increase the risk for suicide. Research suggests these discussions can potentially provide comfort and reassurance to the person experiencing crisis.

• Myth: Suicidal thoughts and behaviours are motivated by seeking attention

Fact: Individuals expressing thoughts of death by suicide often are suffering and asking for help in an indirect way. Individuals in distress are deserving of hope and help and deserve compassionate care.

• Myth: People who experience suicidal thoughts and behaviour are depressed or mentally ill

Fact: Anyone can experience suicidal thoughts and behaviours. Death by suicide is rarely caused by one single factor.

• Myth: People in crisis clearly want to die

Fact: Suicide is often driven by the desire to end one’s pain (Rory O’Connor). The vast majority of people experiencing thoughts of suicide do not die by suicide.

• Myth: Suicide cannot be prevented

Fact: Suicide CAN be prevented. While there are certain biological and psychological factors that can potentially increase risk, appropriate supports need to be in place to prevent and support those experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviours.

Prevention Efforts

Suicide prevention and intervention can take many forms. Some forms of prevention are direct such as crisis intervention hotlines, means restriction (access to weapons) and creation of safety plans (tool to help navigate suicidal feelings). Other forms of prevention are more indirect such as creating environments for people to thrive and supporting broader social determinants of health.

While indirect forms of suicide prevention have received less attention than direct forms, indirect forms of prevention are integral to preventing and supporting individuals in distress. Below are a few broader suicide prevention strategies that have the potential to save lives and need to be included as part of the conversation for suicide prevention.

• Food security
• Affordable housing
• Strengthening household financial security
• Enhancing availability and timely accessibility to mental healthcare
• Youth suicide prevention courses
• Destigmatising mental illnesses
• Community engagement and membership
• Developing suicide prevention programmes

Resources

While we often think of healthcare professionals and first responders as the key partners in suicide prevention and intervention, everyone has the potential to help save lives if they feel comfortable providing support. Below are a series of resources to help identify someone potentially in distress, tips on how to support an individual in distress and free training available to build further expertise in this area. It takes everyone working together to help prevent deaths by suicide both on a local and global scale.

• What are suicidal feelings? What are suicidal feelings? – Mind
• How do I seek support when experiencing suicidal thoughts? Suicide (supportline.org.uk)
• Recognising Signs of suicidal thoughts and behaviours – Suicide warning signs (merseycare.nhs.uk)
• Further Training – Free online training from Zero Suicide Alliance
• Safety Planning for those in distress – Creating a ‘safety plan’ | Samaritans
• Initiating and fostering conversations about suicidal thoughts and behaviours – suicide-04-handouts-depression.pdf (who.int) | How The 5 Steps Can Help Someone Who is Suicidal – #BeThe1To | Ask Now Save Lives – Grassroots Suicide Prevention (prevent-suicide.org.uk)

If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviours, the following services can provide you with support:

UK and Ireland: Samaritans UK: 116 123

US: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or IMAlive at 1-800-784-2433

Australia: Lifeline Australia at 13 11 14

Other jurisdictions: see Find A Helpline | Free, confidential support. 24/7. Chat, text or phone. or Suicide.org: Suicide Prevention, Suicide Awareness, Suicide Support – Suicide.org! Suicide.org! Suicide.org! to find a helpline in your country

References

• https://www.who.int/news/item/09-09-2019-suicide-one-person-dies-every-40-seconds
• https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/index.html
• https://www.samhsa.gov/data/
• https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rd6IsNQbBs
• https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medicine/article/does-asking-about-suicide-and-related-behaviours-induce-suicidal-ideation-what-is-the-evidence/FCAEE9E5BC840D76CF10AEBECD921AC9
• https://save.org/about-suicide/suicide-statistics/
• https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/suicidesintheunitedkingdom/2020registrations
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26541693/
• https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medicine/article/does-asking-about-suicide-and-related-behaviours-induce-suicidal-ideation-what-is-the-evidence/FCAEE9E5BC840D76CF10AEBECD921AC9
• https://evolvetreatment.com/blog/suicide-attention-intervention/
• https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/suicide/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33351435/#affiliation-1
• https://psychiatry.org/patients-families/suicide-prevention
• https://www.who.int/health-topics/social-determinants-of-health#tab=tab_1

Find out more

• Dr Patrick Jachyra is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, an Affiliate Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Canada, and a Visiting Fellow in the School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine at the University of New South Wales in Australia. Find out more about Dr Jachyra.
• Our Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences is ranked in the top 100 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022. We are an outstanding place for excellence in teaching and research, and our students are highly employable. Visit our Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences webpages to discover more.
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