Suicide Awareness and Prevention Flashcards

A set of 50 vocabulary flashcards covering key definitions, statistics, risk factors, screening tools, and interventions from the Suicide Awareness lecture.

Post-Crisis Suicide Risk

The misconception that improvement after a crisis means risk is over; most completed suicides occur within 3 months after "improvement".

Intent of Suicidal Individuals

Contrary to the myth that suicidal people are fully intent on dying, most individuals are actually undecided.

Seasonal Suicide Trends

Suicide rates are lowest in December and reach higher frequency in the spring and fall.

Suicide

Death caused by self-directed injurious behavior with the intent to die.

Suicidal ideation

Thoughts or beliefs of suicide, often accompanied by feelings of no hope and no way out.

Suicide act

A self-injurious behavior performed with an explicit intent to die.

Suicide attempt

A non-fatal, self-directed, potentially injurious behavior with the intent to die.

Interrupted attempt

A suicide attempt where an outside event, person, or circumstance gets in the way before self-harm occurs.

Self Interrupted attempt

A suicide attempt that an individual stops on their own due to second thoughts before completing it.

Parasuicide

Self-harming behavior performed without the intent to die, often serving as a reach for help (e.g., cutting, taking non-lethal pills).

Preparatory behavior

Actions taken prior to a suicide attempt, such as giving away possessions or emptying a house.

Suicidal crisis

A severe acute state where an individual experiences extreme hopelessness and feels there is no way out.

Lethality

The degree of lethality or capability to cause death associated with a specific suicide method.

Death by suicide

The preferred terminology replacing "commit suicide," which carries stigma and adds guilt.

Youth and Young Adults (Suicide Risk)

Age group characterized by high risk due to often acting without considering long-term consequences.

Middle aged Adults (Suicide Risk)

Age group navigating major life transitions like starting families, requiring monitoring for sudden behavioral changes.

Older adults (Suicide Risk)

The demographic at the highest risk for suicide, often driven by chronic illness, severe loneliness, or feeling they have lived their life.

Male Suicide Rate

An age-adjusted rate of 22.2 per 100,000 in 2024, nearly four times higher than the female rate.

Female Suicide Rate

An age-adjusted rate of 5.6 per 100,000 in 2024.

Firearms

The most common method of death by suicide in 2024, accounting for 56.5% of cases.

Suffocation

The second most common method of death by suicide in 2024, accounting for 23.5% of cases.

Poisoning

A method of death by suicide accounting for 9% of cases in 2024.

History of Prior Attempts

A major risk factor associated with a 50% chance of a subsequent attempt.

Chronic Pain Risk Factor

A physical risk factor where individuals feel there is nothing else to do to stop suffering.

Verbal Warning Signs

Indicators including talking about wanting to die, expressing great guilt or shame, or stating they are a burden to others.

Behavioral Warning Signs

Actions such as researching ways to die, withdrawing from loved ones, giving away items, or severe mood swings.

Emotional Warning Signs

Internal feelings including emptiness, hopelessness, feeling trapped, or experiencing unbearable physical or emotional pain.

Veteran Suicide Risk Factors

Heightened risk driven by factors like PTSD, survivors guilt, and withheld emotions.

Geographic Location Risk Factors

Increased risk associated with rural areas due to poverty, isolation, and fewer accessible healthcare resources.

ISPATHWARM

Acronym for suicide warning signs: Ideation, Substance Abuse, Purposelessness, Anxiety, Trapped, Hopelessness, Withdrawal, Anger, Recklessness, Mood Swings.

Ideation

This “I” in ISPATHWARM. It refers to thoughts of self-harm or suicide. It highlights the importance of recognizing suicidal thoughts as a key warning sign.

Substance Abuse

This is “S” in ISPATHWARM and includes the misuse of drugs or alcohol, which can increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Purposelesness

This is the "P" in ISPATHWARM, indicating a lack of meaning or direction in life, which can contribute to suicidal feelings.

Anxiety

This is the 1st “A” in ISPATHWARM and refers to excessive worry or fear that can lead to suicidal thoughts and feelings. It highlights the need for addressing mental health issues.

Trapped

This is the "T" in ISPATHWARM, referring to the feeling of being stuck or unable to escape from one's situation, which can exacerbate suicidal thoughts.

Hopelessness

This is the "H" in ISPATHWARM, representing a persistent belief that things will not improve or that there is no solution to problems, often linked to suicidal ideation.

Withdrawal

This is the "W" in ISPATHWARM, denoting a decrease in social engagement or emotional connection with others, which can lead to feelings of isolation and increase the risk of suicidal thoughts.

Anger

This is the 2nd "A" in ISPATHWARM, indicating feelings of frustration, resentment, or rage that can arise in response to overwhelming situations, thereby increasing vulnerability to suicidal ideation.

Recklessness

This is the “R” in ISPATHWARM and refers to taking dangerous risks or engaging in unsafe behaviors, often as a way to cope with emotional pain, which can heighten the risk of suicidal actions.

Mood Swings

This is the “M” in ISPATHWARM, characterized by rapid changes in emotional states, ranging from extreme highs to lows, which can contribute to feelings of instability and increased risk of suicidal thoughts.

Ask Suicide Screening Questions (ASQ)

A brief 4-question screening tool designed to evaluate suicide risk in seconds.

Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)

A screening tool commonly used in doctor offices that asks about behavioral changes and social isolation.

Columbia Suicide Screening (CSSR)

A comprehensive assessment featuring very lengthy questions used after initial screening indicates elevated risk.

Protective Factors

Factors that reduce suicide risk, including effective problem-solving skills, personal support, connectedness, and community care.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

A therapeutic modality targeting distorted thinking patterns and problematic behaviors associated with mental distress.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

An evidence-informed therapy focused on emotional regulation, mindfulness, and distress tolerance to reduce suicidal behaviors.

Short-Term Outcomes

Immediate clinical goals including maintaining safety, averting suicide, and mobilizing patient resources.

Long-Term Outcomes

Ongoing clinical goals including maintaining psychiatric treatment, managing future crises, and widening support networks.

Types of Stigma in Healthcare

Stigma categories consisting of Label Avoidance, Public Stigma, and Self-Stigma.

Nurse Suicide Risk Factors

Work-related risks including challenging working conditions, exposure to suffering and death, access to lethal means, and emotional detachment.

Secondary Traumatic Stress

Stress resulting from indirect exposure to trauma through hearing personal accounts or traumatic stories (especially involving children).

Acute Stress

Short-term stress triggered by a specific event (such as treating a GSW in the ER) that resolves once the event passes.

Episodic Acute Stress

Frequent, recurring acute stress occurrences that leave individuals no time to return to a normal baseline between events.

Chronic Stress

Prolonged, relentless stress where individuals lose joy and suicide may begin to feel like an option.