World Suicide Prevention Day – 10 September, 2019

Suicide prevention remains a universal challenge. Every year, suicide is among the top 20 leading causes of death globally for people of all ages. It is responsible for over 800,000 deaths, which equates to one suicide every 40 seconds.

Every life lost represents someone’s partner, child, parent, friend or colleague. For each suicide approximately 135 people suffer intense grief or are otherwise affected. This amounts to 108 million people per year who are profoundly impacted by suicidal behaviour. Suicidal behaviour includes suicide, and also encompases suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. For every suicide, 25 people make a suicide attempt and many more have serious thoughts of suicide.

Suicide is the result of a convergence of genetic, psychological, social and cultural and other risk factors, sometimes combined with experiences of trauma and loss. People who take their own lives represent a heterogeneous group, with unique, complex and multifaceted causal influences preceding their final act. Such heterogeneity presents challenges for suicide prevention experts. These challenges can be overcome by adopting a multilevel and cohesive approach to suicide prevention.

Cycle Around the Globe

Join us in Cycling Around the Globe to raise awareness of the risks of suicide and to fund suicide prevention activities.We know that a person dies every 40 seconds by suicide and up to 25 times as many again make a suicide attempt. There are also many more people who have been bereaved by suicide or have been close to someone who has made an attempt. This World Suicide Prevention Day event is about our global community: to encourage us to engage with each other and to join together to spread awareness of suicide prevention.

This slideshow that promotes the World Suicide Prevention Day activity called Cycle Around the Globe, an international event that promotes suicide prevention awareness.

Information about suicide: Slide presentation

2019_wspd_powerpoint_facts_and_figures

Light a Candle

Light a Candle near a Window at 8 PM to show your support for suicide prevention, to remember a lost loved one, and for the survivors of suicide.

Use a candle on your website or social media outlets. Embed a candle from YouTube.

On social media please use the hashtags: #WSPD #WSPD2019 #cyclearoundtheglobe #WorldSuicidePreventionDay or #SuicidePrevention

Research

The following article was published in a peer reviewed journal. It was co-authored by an international team. The Director of the National Wellbeing Service was one of the authors. The full article can be freely downloaded from: https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/10.1027/0227-5910/a000497

Citation: Dunkley C, Borthwick A, Bartlett R, Dunkley L, Palmer S, Gleeson S, & Kingdon D. (2017). Hearing the Suicidal Patient’s Emotional Pain: A Typological Model to Improve Communication. Crisis (2018), 39, pp. 267-274. https://doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000497

Abstract

Background: Escaping from emotional pain is a recognized driver in suicidal patients’ desire to die. Formal scales of emotional pain are rarely used during routine contact between patients and their care team. No study has explored facilitators and inhibitors of emotional pain communication between staff and suicidal patients during regular care. Aims: To identify factors impeding or facilitating emotional pain communication between patients at risk of suicide and mental health professionals. Method: Nine patients with a history of a medically serious suicide attempt and 26 mental health (NHS) staff participated in individualized and focus group interviews, respectively. Results: A typological model was created, describing how patients either speak out or inhibit communication, and professionals may hear the communication or fail to do so. Four permutations are possible: unspoken/unheard, spoken/unheard, spoken/heard, and unspoken/heard. We found 14 subthemes of impediments and facilitators, which include misaligned, alienated and, co-bearing. Limitations: No male patients participated. Conclusion: Numerous factors influence whether emotional pain communication is responded to, missed, or ignored. Patients may try more than one way to communicate. Some patients fear that being able to speak out results in their emotional pain being taken less seriously. Knowledge of this model should improve the care of suicidal patients.

Figure 1: Emotional pain communication model.

National Wellbeing Service Ltd: Aims for WSPD

1) We will upload information on our website about World Suicide Prevention Day, using the IASP World Suicide Prevention Day Web banner, to promote suicide prevention.
2) We will disseminating research findings which are based on research with our collaborators published in an international peer reviewed academic journal.