Suicide Awareness Presentation

Introduction

The following is a presentation I prepared in 2012 on Suicide Awareness for delivery at Durham College. It’s just been sitting on my hard drive since then, so I’ve made it available for other organizations that wish to provide suicide awareness presentations. The content is reproduced below, and you can download the slides here. Although the content takes a Canadian focus, I’ve noted US statistics where possible.

Agenda

• About Me
• A Note on Wording
• Definitions
• Suicide Statistics
• Suicide True and False
• Risk Factors for Suicide
• Warning Signs for Suicide
• How to Help
• Support Networks
• Case Study

About Me

• Currently Director of Online Support & Communication @ Distress Centre Durham
• Distress Centre Durham History
  • 1600+ hours of telephone experience
  • 600+ hours of online chat and text
  • Former Placement Student, Summer Student (x3)
• Trainer Experience
  • Distress Centre Durham Basic Training
  • DCIB Suicide Risk Assessment
  • Online Chat and Text (ONTX) Training

Before we start…

• People do not commit suicide
• You commit a crime, you get committed to a psychiatric hospital
• Instead, people who take their own lives are said to have suicided or alternately died by suicide, as one dies of lung cancer or a person is murdered.

Definitions

• Suicide – Intentional taking of one’s own life
• Suicidal ideation – Clinical term for suicidal thoughts
• Parasuicide
  • A suicidal attempt that is designed to fail or be discovered
  • Not necessarily attention-seeking behaviour

What is a Crisis?

A crisis is any event that overwhelms someone’s coping mechanisms, those things a person does to solve or deal with a problem

Suicide Statistics

• Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in Canada for 18-24 year olds (behind car accidents) (Statistics Canada, 2015)
• More than 90% of suicide victims may have had diagnosable mental illness (Bertolote, et. al., 2004) – Note that there is still not consensus on this figure, it still makes an important point about mental health treatment for suicide
• 21,115 people died by suicide in Ontario in 2005
• The suicide rate is 12.7 per 100,000 males and 4.1 per 100,000 females in Ontario (Statistics Canada, 2014a)
• The Aboriginal suicide rate is 11 times higher than the national average (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2011)

Risk Factors for Suicide (CDC, 2016)

• Mental Illness
• Clinical Depression, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Schizophrenia all increase risk
• Financial Difficulties
• Bullying (+ Cyber-bullying) for young adults
• Relationship Troubles
• Academic / School Troubles
• Legal Problems
• History of Physical / Sexual Abuse
• Bereavement Grief and Loss
  • Especially a suicide-related loss
  • Interrupted (or “Complicated” Grief)

Suicide True and False

(See: Common Suicide Myths)

• Most suicides involve drugs or alcohol…True! Up to 70% percent of suicides involve alcohol or drugs (Pompili, 2010)
• Talking about suicide can plant the idea in someone’s head False! Most people feeling suicidal want to talk about their feelings
• Teenagers have the highest rate of suicide False! The highest risk population is 45-54 years of age in Canada (Statistics Canada, 2014b), and in the US (CDC, 2014)
• The most common suicide method is pills False! The most common method (overall) is hanging (in Canada: Statistics, 2016); in the US it is firearm: Barber & Miller, 2014)
• Most suicidal people leave notes False! Only about 30% of suicides leave notes (Shioiri, et. al., 2005)
• Suicidal people want to die False! Most suicidal people don’t want to die, but want the pain to stop

Suicide Risk Factors vs. Suicide Warning Signs

• Risk Factors are things that increase the likelihood someone will suicide because those things make coping more difficult
• Warning signs are clues that a suicidal crisis may be imminent
• It takes careful clinical examination by a trained mental health professional to determine a person’s level of risk in the medium and long-term

Suicide Warning Signs (AAS, n.d.)

• Sudden Mood changes (either very happy or very sad)
• Sudden appetite changes
• Talking about life in the past tense
• Telling people goodbye, tying up loose ends
• Talking about suicidal acts, feeling hopeless or helpless
• Making lethality statements (“I wish I could fall asleep and not wake up”)

How to Help

• Listen!
• Provide empathy
• Refer to resources
• Distress Centre (1-800-452-0688, 905-430-2522)
• Durham College Counselling Services
• Durham Mental Health Services
• Other resources (e.g. spiritual)
• Explore options
• Build support network

Support Network

• Three levels of support
  • Internal
  • External
  • Peripheral
• Strong support network allows developing the resources that provides the strongest defence against suicide
• Internal Supports
  • Things that we do ourselves to cope with stress
  • Examples include:
    • Journalling
    • Listening to music / Playing an Instrument
    • Running / Working Out / Exercise
    • Prayer / Meditation / Spirituality
    • Art
    • Yoga / Massage
    • Deep Breathing
    • Other Hobbies
• External Supports
  • People in our “inner circle” we reach out to
  • Examples include:
    • Family
    • Friends
    • Pets
• Peripheral Supports
  • Community agencies and others outside of our inner circle
  • Examples include:
  • Distress Lines (e.g. Distress Centre)
  • Family Doctors
  • Psychiatrists / Psychologists
  • Durham Mental Health Services
  • Clergy

Summary

• Suicide is usually preventable
• Asking about suicidal thoughts is the most important thing you can do
• Never be afraid to reach out to a professional for help

Case Study

The original training included a case study derived from Distress Centre Durham training materials.

References

American Association of Suicidiology (AAS). (n.d.) “Warning Signs | American Association of Suicidology. Retrieved on August 24, 2016 from www.suicidology.org/resources/warning-signs

Barber, C.W., Miller, M.J. (2014) Reducing a Suicidal Person’s Access to Lethal Means of Suicide: A Research Agenda. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 47(3S2):S264–S272

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2011) Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS). National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Retrieved on August 24, 2016 from http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/index.html.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2016) Suicide: Risk and Protective Factors. Retrieved on August 24, 2016 from http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/suicide/riskprotectivefactors.html

Pompili, M., Serafini, G., Innamorati, M., Dominici, G., Ferracuti, S., Kotzalidis, G. D., … Lester, D. (2010). Suicidal Behavior and Alcohol Abuse. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 7(4), 1392–1431. http://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph7041392

Public Health Agency of Canada. The Human Face of Mental Health and Mental Illness in Canada 2006. Ottawa, ON: Public Health Agency of Canada,  2011. Available at: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/human-humain06/

Statistics Canada. (2016) Navaneelan, T. Suicide rates: An overview. Retrieved on August 24, 2016 from www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-624-x/2012001/article/11696-eng.htm