ROADS (Reaching out about Depression and Suicide)

Science Studies

“Neural substrates of suicide and suicidal behaviour: from a neuroimaging perspective”

-Yasin Hasan Balcioglu & Samet Kose (2018) Neural substrates of suicide and suicidal behaviour: from a neuroimaging perspective, Psychiatry and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 28:3, 314-328.  Read the Study 

“Adolescent Suicide as a Failure of Acute Stress-Response Systems”

-Adam Bryant Miller, Mitchell J. Prinstein Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA 

Read the Study

Risk factors

Risk factors are characteristics or conditions that increase the chance that a person may try to take their life.

Health

• Mental health conditions

• Depression
• Substance use problems
• Bipolar disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Personality traits of aggression, mood changes and poor relationships
• Conduct disorder
• Anxiety disorders

• Serious physical health conditions including pain

• Traumatic brain injury

Environmental

• Access to lethal means including firearms and drugs

• Prolonged stress, such as harassment, bullying, relationship problems or unemployment

• Stressful life events, like rejection, divorce, financial crisis, other life transitions or loss

• Exposure to another person’s suicide, or to graphic or sensationalized accounts of suicide

Historical

• Previous suicide attempts

• Family history of suicide

• Childhood abuse, neglect or trauma

Warning signs

Something to look out for when concerned that a person may be suicidal is a change in behavior or the presence of entirely new behaviors. This is of sharpest concern if the new or changed behavior is related to a painful event, loss, or change. Most people who take their lives exhibit one or more warning signs, either through what they say or what they do.

Talk

If a person talks about:

• Killing themselves
• Feeling hopeless
• Having no reason to live
• Being a burden to others
• Feeling trapped
• Unbearable pain

Behavior

Behaviors that may signal risk, especially if related to a painful event, loss or change:

• Increased use of alcohol or drugs

• Looking for a way to end their lives, such as searching online for methods

• Withdrawing from activities

• Isolating from family and friends

• Sleeping too much or too little

• Visiting or calling people to say goodbye

• Giving away prized possessions

• Aggression

• Fatigue

Mood

People who are considering suicide often display one or more of the following moods:

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Loss of interest

• Irritability

• Humiliation/Shame

• Agitation/Anger

• Relief/Sudden Improvement 

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Facts About Suicide

In 2020, suicide was among the top 9 leading causes of death for people ages 10-64. Suicide was the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-14 and 25-34

In 2020, an estimated 12.2 million American adults seriously thought about suicide, 3.2 million planned a suicide attempt, and 1.2 million attempted suicide

In 2020, suicide was among the top 9 leading causes of death for people ages 10-64. Suicide was the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-14 and 25-34

Suicide and suicide attempts affect the health and well-being of friends, loved ones, co-workers, and the community. When people die by suicide, their surviving family and friends may experience shock, anger, guilt, symptoms of depression or anxiety, and may even experience thoughts of suicide themselves.

The financial toll of suicide on society is also costly. In 2019, suicide and nonfatal self-harm cost the nation nearly $490 billion in medical costs, work loss costs, value of statistical life, and quality of life costs.

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