Prevalence of Suicide Risk Factors and Suicide‐Related Outcomes in the National Mental Health Study,Colombia

A community survey in 4,426 adults was undertaken as part of the World Mental Health Survey Initiative reporting the prevalence and risk factors for suicide‐related outcomes in Colombia. Lifetime prevalence estimates of suicide ideation, plans, attempts, and risk factors for suicide‐related outcomes were assessed. Retrospective reports of disorders age‐of‐onset were used to study associations between primary mental disorders and first onset of suicide‐related outcomes. Risks of plans and attempts were highest with ideation early age‐of‐onset and within the first year. The highest risk for ideation and attempt among ideators occurred in the 18–29 age group. After first employment (defined as the first paid job accepted by the respondent) and presence of mental disorders constituted risk factors. Impulse‐control disorders were strongest diagnostic predictors.     

Seasonality of Violent Suicides in the Athens Greater Area

The aim of the study was to ascertain suicide seasonality in the Greek population and to associate this seasonal variation with age, sex, and suicide method. Studying seasonality can be of help in establishing a public health policy, related with suicide prevention. This is an epidemiologic study based on forensic evidence. We studied the deaths caused by self‐injury (trauma), namely deaths by violent suicide (not self‐poisoning). Statistically significant suicide seasonality was established with a peak in May. This seasonal variation is attributed mainly to males. As for the method, suicide by hanging peaks in June and by shooting in April. It was also observed that seasonality for individuals above the age of 45 peaks in early May.     

Association between Terror Attacks and Suicide Attempts

Based on Durkheim's ‘Control theory,’ we explored the association between frequency of terror attacks in Israel and the frequency of suicide attempts admitted to the Emergency Room of a major general hospital in Tel‐Aviv (1999–2004). Analysis of the six‐year study period as a whole revealed no significant correlation between the variables, with the exception of one 11‐month segment within it (December 2000–October 2001) that did show a statistically significant positive correlation, and in opposition to Durkeim's hypothesis. It is suggested that suicide attempts as a phenomena should be seen as a product of a multivariate model, in which the social context plays a role as well.     

Female Suicide Rates in Ghizer,Pakistan

Suicide is an understudied subject in Pakistan. There are many social, legal, and religious sanctions against it. National rates of suicides are not known. We calculated suicide rates of women in the Ghizer District of the remote Northern Areas of Pakistan. During years 2000 to 2004, 49 women committed suicide. Taking average mean population for women for 5 years as 65,783, we calculated annual crude suicide rates for women as 14.89/100,000/year. For women over the age of 15 years, rates were 33.22/100,000/year; age‐specific rates for 15–24 years were 61.07/100,000 per year. These figures are considerably higher than suicide rates in other parts of Pakistan and may be related to high psychiatric morbidity in Pakistani women. This study underscores the need for a standardized system of registration of suicides in Pakistan. There is also urgent need to address high psychological distress in women in Pakistan.     

Looking Back on Self‐Poisoning: The Relationship between Depressed Mood and Reporting of Suicidal Intent in People Who Deliberately Self‐Poison

Lifetime worst‐point suicidality is associated with risk of subsequent death by suicide. Yet little is known about how people who deliberately self‐poison (DSP) change their appraisal of suicidal intent of a single DSP episode over time. We assessed whether suicidal intent for a single index episode of DSP changed over time and factors associated with such change. We studied 202 patients admitted for DSP (66.3% female, all Caucasian), 18–85 years old (M = 37.8, SD = 14.8), using a longitudinal design (0, 3, and 12 months). The primary outcome measure was change in suicidal intent for a single index DSP episode, analyzed using multilevel modeling. Wish to die and whether the episode was considered a suicide attempt increased significantly with depressed mood. Wish to die associated with the index episode also increased over time independently of depressed mood. No association with time or depressed mood was found for perceived likelihood of dying. Depressed mood was strongly associated with appraisal of suicidal intent associated with a DSP episode. In suicide risk assessment, reports of the nature and severity of past DSP should be interpreted in light of current mood.     

Emotion Dysregulation and Affective Intensity Mediate the Relationship Between Childhood Abuse and Suicide‐Related Behaviors Among Women with Bulimia Nervosa

Self‐harm and suicide attempts occur at elevated rates among individuals with bulimia nervosa, particularly among those who have experienced childhood abuse. This study investigated the potential mediating roles of emotion dysregulation and affective intensity in the relationship between these variables in 125 women with bulimia nervosa. Analyses revealed that emotion dysregulation mediated the relationship between sexual and emotional abuse with both self‐harm and suicide attempts. Negative affective intensity mediated the relationship between abuse and suicide attempts. The findings may advance the understanding of mechanisms underlying suicide‐related behaviors in women with bulimia nervosa who experienced abuse and suggest potential clinical targets.     

Prevention Programs to Augment Family and Child Resilience Can Have Lasting Effects on Suicidal Risk

In this commentary, the effects of four family‐based preventive interventions designed to augment parent and child resilience, originally designed to prevent mental health and substance abuse, on suicide ideation and attempts are reviewed. Three of the preventive interventions showed a beneficial effect either on child suicide ideation or attempts, and one found a beneficial effect on parental suicidal ideation. The duration of effects in two of these studies was well longer than a decade. These studies suggest that interventions to augment family and child resiliency originally designed to prevent mental health and substance abuse disorders can also have beneficial, often long‐term, effects on suicidal ideation and behavior.     

The Validity of a Brief Risk Assessment Tool for Predicting Suicidal Behavior in Veterans Utilizing VHA Mental Health Care

Suicide risk among military veterans is an important and ongoing concern. The Veterans Administration (VA) mandates suicide risk screening of all veterans seen for mental health issues, but little is known about the effectiveness of this screening. A retrospective chart review to examine all suicide risk screens at VA San Diego between October and December 2012 (n = 3,365) was conducted to assess whether results were associated with suicidal behavior over the subsequent 12 months. Patients judged to be at increased risk for suicide were 3 to 16 times more likely to attempt suicide and 7 to 25 times more likely to engage in self‐directed violence over the next 12 months compared with others. The screening tool may be a useful addition to clinical practice.