MANAGEMENT OF SUICIDAL

CLIENT
 OBJECTIVES
At the end of this presentation learners should
be able;
Define suicide
Describes risk factors of suicide
State causes of suicide
Outline mental health conditions which
associated with suicide
Describe factors associated with suicide
 OBJECTIVES Cont...
• Outline methods of committing suicide.
• Describe management of patient with suicide.
 INTRODUCTION
• Suicide taking your own life, is the tragic
reaction to stressful life situations, and all the
more tragic because suicide can be prevented.
Whether you are considering suicide or know
some one who feels suicidal learning suicide
warning sign and how to reach out for
immediate help and professional treatment you
may save life of your own or some one else’s. It
may seems like there is no way to solve your
problems and that suicide is only way to end
the pain. But you can take steps to stay safe and
start enjoying life again.
 DEFINITION

Suicide is the action of intentionally taking ones’

own life.

It’s not a diagnosis or disorder it’s a behavior.

 RISK FACTORS

1. Marital status; Single, divorced & widowed have

rates four to five times greater those of the
married,
2.Gender; Women attempt suicide more but more
men succeed
3.Age
4.Socio economic status; in very highest & lowest
social classes
5.Psychiatric disorders; Individuals with mood
disorders are far more likely to commit suicide
 RISK FACTORS Cont….
6. Substance abuse the risk for suicide
7. Genetics
8.Social factors; Death of a loved one,
separation, lack of employment & financial
burden
9. Medical illness; is the leading predisposing
factor to suicidal behavior in individuals over
age 80
 Mental health conditions that are
associated with suicide
Mental health conditions are;
• It's estimated 90% of people who attempt or
die by suicide have one or more mental health
conditions. However, in some cases, the
condition may not have been formally
diagnosed by a clinician. Conditions leading to
the biggest risk of suicide are described below
• Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder causes a person's mood to
swing from feeling very high and happy to
feeling very low and depressed. About one in
three people with bipolar disorder will
attempt suicide at least once. People with
bipolar disorder are 20 times more likely to
attempt suicide than the general population
• Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a long-term mental health
condition that typically causes hallucinations
(seeing or hearing things that are not real),
delusions (believing in things that are not
true) and changes in behavior. It's estimated
that one in 20 people with schizophrenia will
take their own life
• Borderline personality disorder
Borderline personality disorder is characterized
by unstable emotions, disturbed thinking
patterns, impulsive behavior and intense but
unstable relationships with other people
• Self-harm is often a key symptom of this
condition.
It's estimated just over half of people with
borderline personality disorder will make at
least one suicide attempt
 FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH SUICIDE
Demographic
Social factors
Familial and Biological factors
Physical illness
Mental Illness & Psychological factors
 DEMOGRAPHIC
Male
Younger > Elderly
Divorced, single or widowed
Socially isolated/living alone
 SOCIAL FACTORS
• Social deprivation & social fragmentation.

• Poor economic conditions – unemployment.

• Childhood adversity.

• Interpersonal loss & conflict.

• Recent migration.
 FAMILIAL AND BIOLOGICAL FACTORS
• Family history of suicide - genetic risk.

• Non-genetic: childhood abuse or neglect .

• Reduced serum cholesterol.

 PHYSICAL ILLNESS
• Chronic and severe physical illness.

• Cancer 2x suicide rate

• Epilepsy 5X suicide rate

• Chronic pain

• HIV/AIDS
 MENTAL ILLNESSES
• Majority suicide victims 1 or more psychiatric
disorders.
• 22% suicides - in the first year of a mental
illness.
• Risk of suicide is high following discharge.

• Risk of suicide is high following discharge

 CAUSES OF MENTAL ILLNESS
Sociological Psychological Biological
•Changing family Mental well-being Genetics
structure
•Marital breakdown Personality Psychiatric illness
•Changing cultural Psychosocial Physical illness
values and religious
practices
•Unemployment/e depression alterations in
mployment neurotransmitters
 METHODS OF COMMITING SUICIDE
1-Poisoning, usually from an overdose of sleeping
pills, sometimes taken with alcohol

2-Inhaling car exhaust fumes

3- Men use violent methods such as shooting

themselves more often than women.
 Management of suicidal patients
• Determine treatment setting: Inpatient or
outpatient
• Caution regarding “contracts for safety”
• Medications according to the presented
mental health conditions i.e. schizophrenia
• Limit availability of firearms, lethal drugs,
• Access to crisis services needed
• Therapy i.e. group therapy
 CONCLUSSION
• Suicide is a significant public health problem.
Risk factors are multifactorial &
multidimensional
• Early recognition is important to prevent
suicides. Do not ignore suicidal comments,
threats
 CONCLUSSION Cont..
Depression is the most common diagnosis
associated with suicide: recognize it, treat or
refer
 REFFERENCES
http://sehb.ie/search/publications/suicide_info_pa
ck/3%20Causes%20of%20Suicide.pdf
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/
entry/suicide
http://medicinenet.com/suicide/article.htm
http://mayoclinic.com/health/suicide/MH00053