NURS 353 Suicide prevention

10th leading cause of death overall

2nd leading cause of death (10-34 years old)

suicide statistics

severe mood disorders

schizophrenia

substance abuse

personality disorders

panic disorder

co-morbidities of suicide

Suicidal ideations

thoughts of injury or demise of self without a plan

Suicidal intent

degree to which person intends to act on suicidal ideations

suicidal threat

verbalization of imminent self-destructive action

Suicidal gesture

acts that result in little to no injury but communicate a message of suicidal intent

Suicidal plan

organization of a time frame and method for killing oneself

self-mutilation

causes deliberate harm to body without intent to suicide

cutting

biting nails

injurious masturbation

head banging

examples of self mutilation

depression, hostility and anxiety

what does increases in adolescent self-mutilation parallel with

scissors

razors

knives

objects used for self-mutilation

suicide

anorexia

substance abuse

self-mutilation

direct patterns

unsafe sexual practices

abusive relationships

dangerous sports

compulsive gambling

indirect patterns

prior attempts

Family Hx

abuse of alcohol/drugs

mental disorders

access to lethal means

social isolation

chronic disability

lack of access to care

Hx of child/sexual abuse

risk factors for suicide

financial loss

relational loss

easy access to lethal means

local clusters of suicide

natural disasters

veterans

environmental risk factors for suicide

lack of social support

stigma

barrier to access

cultural and religious beliefs

exposure and influence of others

sociocultural risk factors for suicide

youth

elderly

military

Native American

LGBTQ

at risk groups for suicide

positive family relationships

circle of friends

connectedness

coping skills

religious and cultural supports

peer mentors

mental and physical health

protective factors for suicide

Psychoeducation

emotional connections

instill hope

self validation

distress management

alternatives

safety plan

died by suicide

ended their life

more sensitive language

I wish I was dead

overt statements to look out for

you won’t have to worry about me anymore

covert statements to look out for

sudden brightening of mood, drastic change

non-verbals to look out for

intent to die

severity of ideation

availability of means

degree of planning

what to determine in assessment

access to firearm

access to harmful meds

imagine your own funeral

practiced your suicide

changed will or life insurance

Hx of attempts

examples of assessing lethality

prevention

primary intervention for suicide

treating acute suicidal crisis (getting to safe environment)

secondary intervention for suicide

interventions with family/friends of those who have committed suicide

Tertiary intervention for suicide

1:1 observations

document verbalizations/behaviors (q 15-30 minutes)

watch pt swallow meds

no unsafe objects around

remove clothing used as tournique

suicide precautions

commitment to therapy

no-suicide contract

therapeutic communication

interventions for underlying disorder

components of counseling

teach about underlying disorder

coping skills

appropriate expressions of anger

components of health teaching

development of coping alternatives

denial of desire to suicide

support system

evaluation of effectiveness