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| www.yalescientific.org/fulllengths/84-1 |
According
to a recent article published by Fox News, the social stigmas associated with
mental illness continue to impede on suicide prevention (Dhar, 2013). While suicide rates
for children, and elderly have leveled off in recent years, over the past
decade suicide trends have increased nearly thirty percent for middle-aged
adults. It is thought the ongoing economic downturn and access to pain
medication have contributed to the rising rates among the baby boomer
population. In addition, there are often underlying psychological conditions
including depression, and anxiety, which lead to suicidal behavior. There are damaging
misconceptions that those suffering from severe depression do not want to be
helped, while evidence supports the contrary. The article identifies ways to
recognize the common symptoms and behaviors associated with suicide for early
intervention. Individual support is important to help friends and families
suffering from mental health. Nonetheless, global initiatives are needed to
address suicide worldwide. While there have been many targeted interventions
for suicide directed at young adults and teens, it is evident the adult population is
also in need of attention(Dhar,2013).
The World
Health Organization(WHO) validates that suicide has not been properly addressed in today's society because of the lack of awareness and social stigmas (WHO, 2013). The current
data regarding the problem is skewed because incidences of suicide are
often under reported and under prioritized in most countries. Even still, within
the Unites States, suicide is reported to be among the top 20 leading causes of
death for individuals 10 and older(WHO,2013). To target prevention at the
individual, family, community, and global level, the Center for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) suggests a public health approach to combat suicide.
Government programs are shown to be effective in promoting awareness, providing evidence-based prevention strategies, and advocating for social change (CDC,
2013). The National Strategy for Suicide Prevention is one
organization that provides guidance for schools, health care systems,
workplaces, clinicians, and other sectors in society. The public health mission
for this program is to cultivate a positive dialogue for discussing mental
health, enhance surveillance data to increase awareness, and to better
integrate suicide prevention in the health care system(CDC, 2013).
Nurses and other health care
providers play a key role in identifying the warning signs and
establishing interventions for suicidal behavior. Through a health
history one can determine if the individual has a history of suicidal attempts,
psychological disorders, agitation, hopelessness, chronic pain, substance
abuse, or other determinants of suicidal behavior. In addition, as a nurse, it
is important to recognize the protective factors for suicide by educating the
client on problem-solving behaviors, providing clinical support for underlying
mental health concerns, and increasing the client's awareness of community resources(
"Suicide Prevention",2012).
