What Can We Do About Suicide?
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Nicola Young Jackson
Publication (Outlet/Website): Assorted In-Sight (In-Sight Publishing)
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/12/10
So, what’s the deal with suicide? Mental health continues to be a growing concern in the UK with the increase in suicides for men and the attempts for women with both populations having not equal, but different, problems (Mental Health Foundation, 2016a). Each suicide is a tragedy, ripping apart the lives of people around the victim.
For women, they attempt suicide much more than men (Good, 2016). For men, they attempt and complete suicide much more than women (Ibid.). These need to be discussed more in a calm, sober way. We can then work on solutions to these major health problems, as mental health and medical professionals work on them every day. An ill-functioning brain is a medical and healthcare issue as much as an individual, physical, and social issue.
Let’s look a little deeper into who are the people that are choosing to take their own life. Around twice as many men than women take their own lives. Of those men, unemployed are 2 – 3 times more likely to take their own life. Research by Samaritans has found that men who have experienced social disconnection, relationship breakdown, and mid-life challenges are 10 times more likely to take their own life.
Mental health and illness reflect opposite sides of the output of a physical structure, the brain. All structures imply functions. There are genetic factors for the structure, and function, of an organ within a species. Also, there are individual differences within a species. The brain and its associated mental states are the same. There are environmental influences too. Those relate to mental health/illness. For much of our species (Homo sapiens) recent evolution, it was in favor of a life spent as a hunter-gatherer.
Modern environments come with associated problems in the lives of individual United Kingdom citizens. These count as risk factors. Many of the risk factors for suicide include:
- drug and alcohol misuse
- history of trauma or abuse
- unemployment
- social isolation
- poverty
- poor social conditions
- imprisonment
- violence
- family breakdown. (Mental Health Foundation, 2016b)
Suicidality, like all mental illnesses or symptoms, can be treated. They need to be identified, targeted, and treated in a compassionate and timely manner. For mental illness, there are some general preventatives. According to the Mayo Clinic in Mental Illness: Prevention (2015), some of the basics for mental illness prevention are as follows:
- Pay attention to warning signs. Work with your doctor or therapist to learn what might trigger your symptoms…
- Get routine medical care. Don’t neglect checkups or skip visits to your health care provider, especially if you aren’t feeling well…
- Get help when you need it. Mental health conditions can be harder to treat if you wait until symptoms get bad….
- Take good care of yourself. Sufficient sleep, healthy eating and regular physical activity are important. (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2015)
No certain means exist to buffer against mental illness, and indeed suicidality, completely, but lifestyle interventions can be effective in personal life. And if things become too difficult, a focus on immediate contact with a healthcare provider is an important step for appropriate professional assistance where lifestyle practices fail.
But what are some of the lifestyle practices? First, you can get up. Sedentary lifestyles decrease overall physical strength, endurance, and flexibility. Active lifestyles increase overall strength, endurance, and flexibility.
Second, you can get more sleep. Sleep is an important part of health in addition to mental health (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2016). You can take into account a consistent sleep schedule and relaxing prior to bed for a good night sleep. There are some sleep aids accessible over-the-counter. Even so, they should not be used in the long-term. In summary, suicide is a multifactorial condition.
Gender, age, culture, lifestyle, diet and what is happening in a person’s life, are all factors that can contribute to such a devastating result. It is important to be aware of potential causes, signs and symptoms. Keep an eye on people around you. Be there for friends, family, neighbours, colleagues, and acquaintances. It is the duty of us all, to be there when others are at risk.
Bibliography
1. Samaritans. (2016). Suicide in the UK and ROI. Retrieved from http://www.samaritans.org/about-us/our-research/facts-and-figures-about-suicide.
2. Marlene Zuk. (2013, December 17). Paleolithic: How People Really Lived During The Stone Age. Retrieved from http://discovermagazine.com/2013/april/17-paleomythic-how-people-really-lived-during-the-stone-age.
3. Mayo Clinic Staff. (2015, October 13). Prevention. Retrieved from Mayo Clinic in Mental Illness: Prevention.
4. Mayo Clinic Staff. (2016, November 16). Sleep. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/basics/sleep/hlv-20049421.
5. Mental Health Foundation. (2016a). Mental health statistics: UK and worldwide. Retrieved from https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/statistics/mental-health-statistics-uk-and-worldwide.
6. Mental Health Foundation. (2016b). Suicide. Retrieved from https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/s/suicide. 7. Samaritans. (2012). Research Report: Men and Suicide. Retrieved from http://www.samaritans.org/about-us/our-research/research-report-men-suicide-and-society.
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In-Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Based on a work at www.in-sightjournal.com.
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