Suicide Prevention 1

SUICIDE PREVENTION
Suicide Prevention: A study of mental health services that provide help in suicide
prevention
Suicide Prevention 2
This document would discuss and resent ideas on !"#T C#N $E done to imrove the
services o% #$C Suicide Prevention Centre that is located in the "ornse& 'ane $rid(e area) The
su((estions are *ased on an assessment and stud& o% u*lished literature and a stud& o% di%%erent
we*sites o% suicide revention centres in 'ondon and other cities) #s er the su((estion o% +aton
,1--./0 suicide assistance centres should adot a multi%aceted intervention strate(& that would
involve counsellin(0 intervention care centres0 media and u*licit& and interactive we*sites with
data*ase suort) The author has also su((ested that suort can *e e1tended with centres in
hi(h suicide rone areas such as schools0 hositals0 risons0 lar(e cit& centres and other areas that
have a hi(h incidence o% suicides) Some o% these methods are discussed in the ne1t sections)
Counselling 24x72 This t&e o% suort is the *est ossi*le hel that can *e e1tended and
'uoma ,2332/ notes that the s4ill and e1ertise o% counsellors can hel to reduce the suicide
tendencies o% )eole that are on the ver(e o% 4illin( themselves) Counsellors need to *e trained
and should have seen how counsellin( is done) # wron( move0 a misunderstood word %rom the
counsellor can reciitate a erson to commit suicide) There%ore0 it is ver& imortant that trained
counsellors in this 4ind o% wor4 should *e (iven the tas4) Volunteers are alwa&s welcome *ut
merel& havin( (ood intention and a will to hel does not mean that the erson can *e a (ood
counsellors) Samaritans ,2313/ su((est that even %riends o% eole who are li4el& to commit
suicide should resond *& tr&in( to hel or *& callin( u suicide counsellin( centres) 5ann
,2313/ su((ests that as a rule0 male counsellors should hel men callers and %emale counsellors
should hel women callers) 6ace to %ace counsellin( can also *e rovided at suicide enters *ut
(enerall&0 eole would sh& awa& %rom aearin( in a u*lic lace where eole can reco(nise
them)
Suicide Prevention 7
Intervention Care Units2 These are small clinics with a coule o% *eds where emer(enc&
counsellin( and care can *e (iven to the atients) Trained counsellors and doctors can administer
controlled doses o% anti deressants that can rovide temoraril& relie% to atients ,'eon0 2338/)
In addition0 these intervention care units can also o%%er hel in the %orm o% 9%ace:to: %ace;
counsellin() There can also *e emer(enc& care medicines0 trauma0 and 4its to dia(nose oisons0
stomach ums and so on) These centres can *e set u in areas that have a hi(h rate o% suicides
and some o% these can include schools since teens0 and &ouths tr& to 4ill themselves over trivial
reasons) The recruitment o% counsellors0 orderlies0 nurses and assistants alon( with s&chiatrists
is imortant and these eole need to ta4e an atitude test to %ind i% the& have the caa*ilit& to
handle such tas4s) 'onn<vist,1--=/ sa&s that more than e%%icienc&0 4indness and emath& is
imortant and the counsellors need to relate to the victim0 understand the ro*lems that are so
e1treme to the victim that the erson wants to end his li%e) "el %or the mentall& ill who want to
4ill themselves does not come under this urview since such atients have to *e h&sicall&
restrained %rom carr&in( out suicides) Toll %ree line should *e rovided and there should *e
multile lines so that callers do not have to a& mone& and so that the& are not ut on hold %or
lon()
edia and Pu!licity2 Rut> ,2331/ and Et>ersdor%er ,1--?/ have written a*out the use o%
media to educate and (uide eole %rom 4illin( themselves) Pu*licit& in the %orm o%
advertisement0 hoardin(s at suicide rone areas0 articles in newsaers and even TV shows0
interviews with suicide survivors and messa(es *& cele*rities hel to revent suicides) In man&
cases0 victims o% severe deression can *e tal4ed out o% their suicidal tendencies i% the& have
Suicide Prevention 8
some ver*al or visual assurance that their ro*lems can *e solved and that their condition is not
so *ad that the& should 4ill themselves) This is a ver& e%%ective wa& to revent suicide and the
idea *ehind such methods is that the& have a much wider reach and audience than an intervention
centre) Tal4 shows on TV where suicide survivors can tal4 %ran4l& a*out their ro*lems are ver&
use%ul) These shows can even have call in arran(ements where eole can call u0 tal4 to the
show articiants0 and resolve their ro*lems)
"ata!ase and #e!site support2 # review o% we*sites o% various suicide revention
centres has *rou(ht u a num*er o% oints that can *e used in the suicide revention centres) To
*e(in with0 the we*site should have we* sa%e colours that are not ver& @arrin( to the e&es and that
have a soothin( aearance) There should *e clearl& de%ined lin4s that visitors can clic4 and
view the re<uired in%ormation) !here ossi*le0 the we*sites should have lin4s %or various
reasons %or suicide such as loss o% @o*0 lost love a%%air0 death o% souse or children0 humiliation at
the wor4lace0 a*usive hus*and and so on) The (oal is to (ive in%ormation to the visitor that
shows wh& suicide is the worst act and what alternate methods are availa*le to hel the victim to
%ace the tra(ed&) There should a(ain *e lin4s %or online suort0 newsletter su*scrition and %or
email <uer&) I% ossi*le there should also *e an online %orum where suicide survivors0
counsellors and s&chiatrists and interact with each other) It is also recommended that a data*ase
should *e rovided that stores in%ormation a*out callers0 etc) !hile rivac& o% eole has to *e
maintained0 there should also *e arran(ements that allow counsellors to %ollow u with the
atients)
The aer has resented ideas on what can *e done to imrove the services and
or(anisation o% #$C Suicide revention centre in 'ondon) 6our methods have *een su((ested
Suicide Prevention =
that can *e used to increase the e%%icient and reach o% the centre) The methods are counsellors on
a 281AB Intervention Care UnitsB 5edia and Pu*licit& and Data*ase and !e*site suort) These
methods have *een descri*ed and what has to *e done %or each idea is also (iven in dome detail)
It is e1ected that i% these ideas were imlemented0 the suicide rate would *e e1ected to reduce)
Suicide Prevention .
RE6ERENCES
Et>ersdor%er0 E)0 1--?) Preventin( suicide *& in%luencin( mass media reortin(2 the Viennese
e1erience 1-?3:1--.) #rchives o% Suicide Rescue0 80 ) .A:A8)
+aton0 !)0 1--.) # multi%aceted intervention to imrove treatment o% deression in rimar& care)
#rchives o% Ceneral Ps&chiatr&0 =70 ) -28:-72)
'onn<vist0 D0 +)0 1--=) 5ental disorders and suicide revention) Ps&chiatr& and Clinical
Neuroscience0 8-,1/0 ) S111:S11.
'eon0 #) C0) 2338) Paro1etine0 other antideressants0 and &outh suicide in New Eor4 Cit&2 1--7
throu(h 1--?) Dournal o% Clinical Ps&chiatr&0 .=0 ) -1=:-1?
'uoma0 D0$)0 2332) Contact with mental health and rimar& care roviders *e%ore suicide2 a
review o% the evidence) #merican Dournal o% Ps&chiatr&0 1=-0 ) -3-:-1.)
5ann0 D0 D)0 2313) Suicide Prevention Strate(ies2 # S&stematic Review) D#5#0 2-1,1./0 )
23.8:23A.
Rut>0 !)0 2331) Preventin( suicide and remature death *& education and treatment) Dournal o%
#%%ect Disorder0 .20 ) 127:12-
Samaritans0 2313) Do &ou reco(nise some o% these in &oursel%F Or in a %riendF GOnlineH
Samaritans) #vaila*le at
htt2IIwww)samaritans)or(I&ourJemotionalJhealthI%eelin(Jlow)as1 G#ccessed 17
Novem*er 2313H