NR326 WEEK 4 NOTES ;SUICIDE PREVENTION
AND BIPOLAR DISORDER INSIGHTS LATEST!!
LATEST!!
, Suicide Prevention
• Risk Factors
o Psychiatric Disorders:
▪ 90% have mental illness, diagnosed or not
o Previous Attempts:
▪ greatest predictor of future attempts
o Substance abuse
▪ altered thinking, which can cause mental highs and lows that exacerbate
suicidal thoughts, impulsivity, Intoxication (more than one in three people
who die from suicide are found to be intoxicated)
o Gender
▪ more women than men attempt suicide
▪ men are 4x more likely to die by suicide àmen really are at
higher risk
o Age
▪ 55 are at a higher risk for suicide
▪ teens
o Culture
▪ Native Americans & Native Alaskans, no religious afÒiation
o Isolation
▪ true or perceived, divorced/single more at risk
o Recent tragedy or loss
▪ death, job
o Relationship
o Access to firearms
▪ majority of completed suicides involve the use of a firearm
o History of trauma
o Chronic Medical Illness
▪ hopelessness
o Lack of access to mental health care
o Occupations
▪ physicians/nurses, law enforcement, military/veterans, dentists,
insurance agents
• Know the signs
o Sadness
o Insomnia
o Hopelessness
1
AND BIPOLAR DISORDER INSIGHTS LATEST!!
LATEST!!
, Suicide Prevention
• Risk Factors
o Psychiatric Disorders:
▪ 90% have mental illness, diagnosed or not
o Previous Attempts:
▪ greatest predictor of future attempts
o Substance abuse
▪ altered thinking, which can cause mental highs and lows that exacerbate
suicidal thoughts, impulsivity, Intoxication (more than one in three people
who die from suicide are found to be intoxicated)
o Gender
▪ more women than men attempt suicide
▪ men are 4x more likely to die by suicide àmen really are at
higher risk
o Age
▪ 55 are at a higher risk for suicide
▪ teens
o Culture
▪ Native Americans & Native Alaskans, no religious afÒiation
o Isolation
▪ true or perceived, divorced/single more at risk
o Recent tragedy or loss
▪ death, job
o Relationship
o Access to firearms
▪ majority of completed suicides involve the use of a firearm
o History of trauma
o Chronic Medical Illness
▪ hopelessness
o Lack of access to mental health care
o Occupations
▪ physicians/nurses, law enforcement, military/veterans, dentists,
insurance agents
• Know the signs
o Sadness
o Insomnia
o Hopelessness
1
