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Suicide: where can help be found?

Article Excerpt
A discussion of resources available must address the point at which a person (patient) becomes suicidal, what medical, psychological and spiritual condition she is in, and to whom she can turn for help. Given the high correlation between suicide and severe depression, ideally, the patient would have options for emergent mental health evaluation and good follow-up care. Evidence-based treatment methods now exist to treat patients with recurrent self-harm and parasuicidal behaviors. (1,2) Clinicians should consider the patient's history, diagnosis, family history, biomedical factors, mental health issues, psychosocial stressors, lethal intent and general risk factors. In addition, they should assess protective factors, ie, barriers for suicide, including the patient's reasons for living versus dying, the impact their death might have on significant others, and their beliefs about the religious or spiritual consequences of completing suicide.

For some, the interface between a suicidal patient and their treating physician/mental health practitioner is a safe place to seek help. Realistically, however, when a person is feeling suicidal, she might instead turn to a partner, friend, relative, religious or spiritual leader, or a complete stranger. Resources are available for whatever stage and within whichever context help is sought.

Anyone who has experienced talking someone down from suicide knows what a daunting privilege intervening can be. If the suicidal...

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