Suicide

Suicide rates in teens have been steadily on the rise over the past two decades, and data from the 2021 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that approximately 22% of teens reported suicidal thoughts and 10% of teens reported doing something to try to end their life in the past 12 months.

As a medication used traditionally as an anesthetic, ketamine now shines as a potential lifeline for those battling severe depression, anxiety, and suicidality. Its ability to provide rapid and effective relief in treatment-resistant cases offers hope to those struggling with severe mental health challenges.
Firearm ownership is undoubtedly a risk factor for suicide. While it is not the only risk factor, it is a significant one and certainly the most lethal. Firearms are a common method of suicide in veterans with high rates of gun ownership.
It can be difficult to talk about suicide. It’s a taboo topic, fraught with discomfort. Couple that with some harmful misunderstandings and our tendency, as a society, to shy away from hard conversations, and it’s no wonder that you may struggle to find the right words.  
Suicide isn’t an easy topic. Yet, we can’t afford to shy away from it. The reach of suicide is staggering, and its impact is tragic and often avoidable.

This blog was originally posted on Ten Percent Happier on April 22, 2022 and is reprinted here with permission

Sarah Zabel

My friend’s phone call left me stunned and shaken. She had just been released from the hospital, where she had been admitted for suicidal ideation. “Suicidal ideation” was an unfamiliar term to me, but I could easily figure what it meant.

Debra Kissen, PhD, M.H.S.A. and Paul Greene, PhD

Death by suicide is a major public health problem that profoundly impacts families in a way few other things do. Every year, many people at risk of suicide seek and get help, potentially saving themselves and their loved ones untold grief.

Nicole J. LeBlanc, MA, Kate H. Bentley, PhD, and Naomi M. Simon, MD, MSc

The loss of a loved one to suicide is a far too common tragedy. In 2017 alone, 47,173 people in the United States died by suicide [1] and it is estimated that an average of 135 people are exposed to each suicide death [2].

Ashley Smith, PhD

As a clinical psychologist, I probably think about suicide more often and in different ways than most. I’ve read the research. I’ve been trained to ask the hard questions. I am all too familiar with the frustrating gaps in our knowledge base: what causes it, who is at risk, how do we prevent it?