More awareness needed of suicide warning signs

SUICIDE is one of the most preventable causes of death, so it is worrisome that suicides are spiking throughout America.

More young veterans are taking their lives, according to the Veterans Administration, despite new efforts to stem suicides in the military and among veterans. According to a VA report reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, veterans account for 14 percent of America’s suicides — but they only represent 8 percent of the population.

The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America noted that a high number of calls to the VA suicide hotline had been routed to backup call centers. The VA has resolved that issue; the hotline number is: (800) 273-8255.

One reason why veterans are more likely to die during suicide attempts is that they’re more likely than civilians to use firearms.

According to Florida criminologist Tom Gabor, suicide attempts involving firearms are about 40 times more likely to end in death than using cutting instruments.

Overall in America, nearly half of all suicides involve guns — and two-thirds of all gun deaths are suicides. Gabor has advocated for gun-related policies that can reduce suicides without dramatically challenging the Second Amendment.

“Red flag” laws allow family members or law enforcement to petition courts and require those at risk of selfharm to surrender their firearms. Waiting periods for purchasing firearms could prevent people from obtaining weapons when they’re most at risk.

In a study of suicide survivors, those who used guns said that was the easiest method available to them.

One stubborn and ill-informed myth is that people who attempt suicide and fail will simply continue to try killing themselves; only about 15 percent of suicides fall into that category.

In the vast majority of cases when suicide attempts are interrupted and prevented, those lives are saved for the long haul. For example, in a study of more than 500 people who were prevented from jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, 94 percent of them were still alive 26 years later.

One key is to provide those who have attempted suicide with safety plans before they are discharged from hospitals, according to a study published in JAMA Psychology. Too often, patients who have attempted suicide are simply treated and released. But when these patients are given safety plans, the risk of suicide drops by as much as 50 percent.

The safety plan includes:

• Listening to patients and determining the warning signs that could trigger them to attempt suicide.

• Creating coping strategies for patients that allow them to confront and overcome thoughts of suicide.

• Making follow-up calls to patients within 72 hours after they’ve left hospital care.

According to a Harris poll conducted for the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, 94 percent of Americans said they would take action to help someone close to them who was thinking about suicide. That’s great news.

But what is critically needed is more awareness about the warning signs of suicide. Many warning signs of suicide center on lingering feelings of depression and hopelessness.

One major resource is the national suicide hotline, which can be reached at (800) 273-TALK.

This editorial is from the Florida TimesUnion, a member of the GateHouse family of newspapers.