Suicide accounts for more than half of all violent deaths in the world – more than all the deaths caused by war and murder combined. [3]

Anybody who is thinking of committing suicide, generally exhibits some form of alteration in their normal mental being, and if a friend or loved one can spot this change in time, they can take action to reduce the likelyhood of a suicide attempt. [1]

Research has shown that people feeling depressed may be more willing to discuss their problems with relative strangers rather than friends or family because they feel embarrassed about talking to someone they know. Some people really open up while they’re having their hair cut – from the silly things to the most important things in their lives.[2]

Warning signs of suicide include:

– A previous attempt;

– Talk or plans of suicide;

– A strong wish to die or preoccupation with death;

– Giving away prized possessions;

– Signs of depression such as moodiness, hopelessness or withdrawal;

– Increased alcohol and/or drug use;

– Hinting at not being around in the future. [4]

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) teaches people to recognize the signs that a person is at risk and how to intervene to prevent suicide. The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium has trained more than 100 teachers, health aides, licensed counselors and caregivers in the last year, expanding prevention resources in communities statewide. [3]

In UK, hairdressers and taxi drivers are being trained to help spot vulnerable people who might be contemplating taking their own lives. [2]

Statistics
Alaska’s suicide rate – 19.6 per every 100,000 people – is twice the national average. In 2008, 165 Alaskans committed suicide. [3]….why?

Reference
[1] Committing Suicide is a Permanent Solution to a Temporary Problem dbtechno.com September 11, 2009 [2] Mark Simpson Hairdressers to help prevent suicide BBC Ireland 10 September 2009 [3] Kate Burkhart My turn: Together communities can prevent suicide juneauempire.com September 11, 2009. [4] Michelle Dupler Group to walk for suicide prevention The News Tribune 09/11/09

Tags: depression, Suicide

This entry was posted on Friday, September 11th, 2009 at 12:53 pm and is filed under Mental Illness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.