SUICIDE SCREENING AND PREVENTION

Course overview

SUICIDE IS A MAJOR PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM NOT ONLY IN THE UNITED STATES BUT ALSO IN MANY WESTERN NATIONS. IN THE UNITED STATES, IT IS THE 10TH LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH, ACCOUNTING FOR NEARLY 44,000 DEATHS EACH YEAR. SUICIDE IS ALSO THE SEVENTH LEADING CAUSE OF YEARS OF THE POTENTIAL LOSS OF LIFE, SURPASSING LIVER DISEASE, DIABETES, AND HIV. EACH YEAR, NEARLY HALF A MILLION INDIVIDUALS PRESENT TO THE EMERGENCY ROOMS IN THE UNITED STATES FOLLOWING AN ATTEMPTED SUICIDE. DATA INDICATE THAT NEARLY 1 OUT OF EVERY 7 YOUNG ADULTS DESCRIBE HAVING SOME TYPE OF SUICIDAL IDEATION AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIVES, AND AT LEAST 5% HAVE MADE A SUICIDAL ATTEMPT. SUICIDE HAS REPERCUSSIONS WAY BEYOND THE AFFECTED INDIVIDUAL. IT COSTS THE US HEALTHCARE SYSTEM OVER $70 BILLION, AND UNTOLD BILLIONS OF DOLLARS ARE LOST BY THE FAMILIES AFFECTED IN TERMS OF LOSS OF EARNINGS. SUICIDES ARE AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH AND AFFECT BOTH GENDERS. MEN ARE NEARLY 3.5 TIMES MORE LIKELY THAN WOMEN TO COMMIT SUICIDE, AND ON AVERAGE, 123 PEOPLE KILL THEMSELVES EVERY DAY. THIS ACTIVITY PRESENTS THE CAUSES OF SUICIDE, THE RISK FACTORS, THE ROLE OF MEDICATIONS AND TRIGGER FACTORS, AND HOW THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY CAN COUNTER THE PROBLEM.