Suicide risk in juvenile open angle glaucoma patients

AIM:To investigate the association between juvenile open angle glaucoma(JOAG)and mental health among Koreans.METHODS:This study used nationally representative data from the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(KNHANES)2021.Glaucoma diagnosis followed the International Society of Geographical and Epidemiological Ophthalmology criteria based on glaucomatous structural defects,visual field defects,corrected vision,and intraocular pressure.As outcomes,suicidal behaviors,psychiatric counseling,and depression were evaluated through mental health questionnaires.Odds ratios(ORs)with 95%confidence intervals(CIs)were estimated using logistic regression models,adjusting for covariates.RESULTS:Among 7090 participants,3446 met the inclusion criteria for analysis,and 88(2.6%)were diagnosed with open angle glaucoma(OAG).After adjusting for age,sex,and best-corrected visual acuity(VA),participants with OAG were revealed to have significantly higher odds of suicidal behaviors(i.e.,ideation,planning,or attempts)compared with those without OAG(OR:2.70;95%CI:1.12-6.54;P=0.028).This association remained significant after further adjustments for socioeconomic status,lifestyle factors,and presence of chronic conditions(P=0.031 and 0.035,respectively).However,there was no significant difference for the other two outcomes,psychiatric counseling and depression.An age-stratified analysis revealed a stronger association between OAG and suicidal behaviors in younger JOAG participants(<40y)than in older OAG participants(≥40y;OR:3.80 vs 2.22;95%CI:0.79-18.22 vs 0.56-8.80,respectively).CONCLUSION:OAG patients show a higher risk of suicidal behaviors than those without glaucoma particularly in JOAG patients.

Adolescent suicide risk factors and the integration of socialemotional skills in school-based prevention programs

Adolescents are considered one of the most vulnerable groups affected by suicide.Rapid changes in adolescents’physical and mental states,as well as in their lives,significantly and undeniably increase the risk of suicide.Psychological,social,family,individual,and environmental factors are important risk factors for suicidal behavior among teenagers and may contribute to suicide risk through various direct,indirect,or combined pathways.Social-emotional learning is considered a powerful intervention measure for addressing the crisis of adolescent suicide.When deliberately cultivated,fostered,and enhanced,selfawareness,self-management,social awareness,interpersonal skills,and responsible decision-making,as the five core competencies of social-emotional learning,can be used to effectively target various risk factors for adolescent suicide and provide necessary mental and interpersonal support.Among numerous suicide intervention methods,school-based interventions based on social-emotional competence have shown great potential in preventing and addressing suicide risk factors in adolescents.The characteristics of school-based interventions based on social-emotional competence,including their appropriateness,necessity,cost-effectiveness,comprehensiveness,and effectiveness,make these interventions an important means of addressing the crisis of adolescent suicide.To further determine the potential of school-based interventions based on social-emotional competence and better address the issue of adolescent suicide,additional financial support should be provided,the combination of socialemotional learning and other suicide prevention programs within schools should be fully leveraged,and cooperation between schools and families,society,and other environments should be maximized.These efforts should be considered future research directions.

Stock Volatility Increases the Mortality Risk of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events and Suicide:A Case-Crossover Study of 12 Million Deaths

Stock volatility constitutes an adverse psychological stressor,but few large-scale studies have focused on its impact on major adverse cardiovascular events(MACEs)and suicide.Here,we conducted an individual-level time-stratified case-crossover study to explore the association of daily stock volatility(daily returns and intra-daily oscillations for three kinds of stock indices)with MACEs and suicide among more than 12 million individual decedents from all counties in the mainland of China between 2013 and 2019.For daily stock returns,both stock increases and decreases were associated with increased mortal-ity risks of all MACEs and suicide.There were consistent and positive associations between intra-daily stock oscillations and mortality due to MACEs and suicide.The excess mortality risks occurred at the cur-rent day(lag 0 d),persisted for two days,and were greatest for suicide and hemorrhagic stroke.Taking the present-day Shanghai and Shenzhen 300 Index as an example,a 1%decrease in daily returns was associated with 0.74%-1.04%and 1.77%increases in mortality risks of MACEs and suicide,respectively;the corresponding risk increments were 0.57%-0.85%and 0.92%for a 1%increase in daily returns and 0.67%-0.77%and 1.09%for a 1%increase in intra-daily stock oscillations.The excess risks were more pro-nounced among individuals aged 65-74 years,males,and those with lower education levels.Our findings revealed considerable health risks linked to sociopsychological stressors,which are helpful for the gov-ernment and general public to mitigate the immediate cardiovascular and mental health risks associated with stock market volatility.

Predicting Users’ Latent Suicidal Risk in Social Media: An Ensemble Model Based on Social Network Relationships

Suicide has become a critical concern,necessitating the development of effective preventative strategies.Social media platforms offer a valuable resource for identifying signs of suicidal ideation.Despite progress in detecting suicidal ideation on social media,accurately identifying individuals who express suicidal thoughts less openly or infrequently poses a significant challenge.To tackle this,we have developed a dataset focused on Chinese suicide narratives from Weibo’s Tree Hole feature and introduced an ensemble model named Text Convolutional Neural Network based on Social Network relationships(TCNN-SN).This model enhances predictive performance by leveraging social network relationship features and applying correction factors within a weighted linear fusion framework.It is specifically designed to identify key individuals who can help uncover hidden suicidal users and clusters.Our model,assessed using the bespoke dataset and benchmarked against alternative classification approaches,demonstrates superior accuracy,F1-score and AUC metrics,achieving 88.57%,88.75%and 94.25%,respectively,outperforming traditional TextCNN models by 12.18%,10.84%and 10.85%.We assert that our methodology offers a significant advancement in the predictive identification of individuals at risk,thereby contributing to the prevention and reduction of suicide incidences.

Depression and Suicidal Risk in HIV-Infected Adults at Brazzaville University Hospital: Prevalence and Associated Factors

Introduction: Highly active antiretroviral tritherapies have improved the quality of life of people living with HIV (PVVIH) and extended their life expectancy. However, the nervous system is faced with a neurotropic virus that evolves chronically, sometimes creating neurological disorders directly or indirectly linked to stigmatization or therapeutic effects. Objective: to determine the prevalence of depression associated with suicidal risk (SR) and identify associated factors. Patients and method: This was a prospective descriptive and analytical study from January 1 to November 30, 2022, including all HIV-positive patients receiving or not receiving antiretroviral therapy. The study took place in the infectious diseases department of Brazzaville University Hospital. This department has an inpatient capacity of 36 beds, and an outpatient capacity of 25 patients per day, three times a week. This is the largest center for PVVIH in Brazzaville. The Patient Heath Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) was used to assess the degree of depression and suicidal risk. Therapeutic adherence was assessed using the Morisky questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 software. Qualitative variables were expressed as numbers and percentages, and quantitative variables as means and standard deviations. Statistical tests were used according to their applicability criteria. For all tests, the significance threshold was set at 0.05. Results: A total of 150 patients were consulted, constituting the sample size. The prevalence of depression and suicidal risk was 32%. These patients had an average age of 42.83 ± 10.24 years, were female (n = 101;67.3%), Christian (n = 97;64%), single (n = 68;45.3%). Stigmatization (n = 75;50%) was the reason for attempted suicide. HIV was perceived as treatable (n = 103;68.7%), unlucky (n = 62;41.3%). Patients were WHO stage 1 (n = 105;70%). RS was present in 47 cases (31.3%). Factors associated with depression and suicidal risk were age (p = 0.000), residence (p = 0.028), suicide attempt (p = 0.000), desire to procreate (p = 0.000) and ARV (antiretrovirals) side effects (p Conclusion: The prevalence of depression and suicidal risk was high, in line with stigma and socio-economic conditions. The associated factors were in line with those identified in the literature. Mental health needs to be integrated into the overall care of people living with HIV.

Analysis of risk factors of suicidal ideation in adolescent patients with depression and construction of prediction model

BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder is a common mental illness among adolescents and is the largest disease burden in this age group.Most adolescent patients with depression have suicidal ideation(SI);however,few studies have focused on the factors related to SI,and effective predictive models are lacking.AIM To construct a risk prediction model for SI in adolescent depression and provide a reference assessment tool for prevention.METHODS The data of 150 adolescent patients with depression at the First People's Hospital of Lianyungang from June 2020 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.Based on whether or not they had SI,they were divided into a SI group(n=91)and a non-SI group(n=59).The general data and laboratory indices of the two groups were compared.Logistic regression was used to analyze the factors influencing SI in adolescent patients with depression,a nomogram prediction model was constructed based on the analysis results,and internal evaluation was performed.Receiver operating characteristic and calibration curves were used to evaluate the model’s efficacy,and the clinical application value was evaluated using decision curve analysis(DCA).RESULTS There were differences in trauma history,triggers,serum ferritin levels(SF),highsensitivity C-reactive protein levels(hs-CRP),and high-density lipoprotein(HDLC)levels between the two groups(P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that trauma history,predisposing factors,SF,hs-CRP,and HDL-C were factors influencing SI in adolescent patients with depression.The area under the curve of the nomogram prediction model was 0.831(95%CI:0.763–0.899),sensitivity was 0.912,and specificity was 0.678.The higher net benefit of the DCA and the average absolute error of the calibration curve were 0.043,indicating that the model had a good fit.CONCLUSION The nomogram prediction model based on trauma history,triggers,ferritin,serum hs-CRP,and HDL-C levels can effectively predict the risk of SI in adolescent patients with depression.

Associations between Physical Activity,Depression,Self-Esteem,and Suicide Ideation in Adolescents

Background:In contemporary society,it has been widely witnessed that a surprising number of adolescents suffer emotional and mental health problems,and such turmoil is very often carried over into adulthood with serious implications for adjustment during the post-adolescent years.The purpose of the current study is to investigate the associations of physical activity with self-esteem,depression,and suicidal ideation.In addition,this study examined whether self-esteem and depression mediate the relationship between physical activity and suicide ideation in adolescents.Methods:The study participants were 946(male:527,female:419)who attended junior high and high schools in Seoul,Korea.The self-esteem scale,leisure time physical activity scale,the self-rating depression scale,and the suicide ideation scale were used to identify adolescents’mental health and physical activity.Descriptive analysis,correlation analysis,and Structural Equation Modeling were conducted to test the study hypothesis.Results:Results indicated that physical activity was significantly correlated with depression,self-esteem,and suicide ideation.Based on each variable’s correlations,the finding revealed that physical activity was significantly associated with self-esteem,depression,and suicide ideation.In addition,depression and self-esteem had significant mediating effects on the relationship between physical activity and suicide ideation.Conclusion:The study suggests that the suicide prevention intervention should incorporate physical activity involvement with self-esteem and depression to strengthen the protective combined effect of the intervention on suicide ideation and suicide attempts.

Suicide Ideation and Its Associated Factors among Men in Selected Compounds of Lusaka, Zambia

Background: Globally, it is estimated that more than 800,000 individuals die by suicide each year, making suicide one of the biggest causes of death worldwide. Additionally, suicide kills far more males than women, more so in developing regions that are characterized by economic distress due to low income. Although the number of suicide cases has been seen to increase from 2013 to date, limited studies provide information on the factors influencing the trend. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the prevalence of suicidal ideation and factors associated with suicide in males in selected compounds of Lusaka. Methods: The study used an analytical quantitative cross- sectional study design that involved 367 men in Mtendere and Kaunda Square townships in Lusaka district, Zambia. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from participants, which was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0. The Chi-square, Fisher’s exact test and Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used to test relationships among variables at a five percent level of significance. Ethical approval and clearance was obtained from the National Health Research Authority. Results: Participants had a median age of 29 years (IQR, 27 - 32 years), 216 (58.9%) were single and 278 (75.8%) attained tertiary education. Under a quarter, 75 (20.4%) reported suicide ideations, and 97 (26.4%) reported low social support. For most participants, 347 (94.7%) experienced at least one stressful life event, and 359 (97.8%) experienced severe levels of stress. Under half, 170 (46.3%) were alcohol dependent, while 54 (14.7%) used alcohol harmfully. Suicide ideation was significantly associated with marital status (p Conclusion: Suicide ideation is relatively high among men in Mtendere and Kaunda Square townships, mainly influenced by marital status, education level, social support, stressful events alcohol abuse. Efforts must be channeled towards suicide awareness campaigns, and establishment of supportive environments in health facilities which can make it easy for men to open up about their struggles.

Suicidal Behaviours in Sickle Cell Patients at the Douala Sickle Cell Care Centre in Cameroon

Introduction: Sickle cell anaemia is a hereditary disease that combines physical and psychological manifestations, including suicidal tendencies. So far, to our knowledge, no study has been conducted on suicidal behaviours among people with sickle cell disease in Cameroon. This is what justifies our study on the prevalence and factors related to suicidal behaviors in our study population. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, analytical study of 171 sickle cell patients aged from 12 years upwards who came to the sickle cell disease care service of the Laquintinie Hospital in Douala, over a period of 6 months, that is, from 1 January to 31 June 2022. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire with questions on suicidal behaviours based on the “MINI” (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview). The data were processed using the SPSS 26.0 software. The related factors were studied in both a bivariate and multivariate analysis. Results: Female sickle cell patients accounted for 60.2% of the sample. The mean age was 23.36 ± 8.42 years. Suicidal ideation was prevalent in 56% of cases and 13% attempted suicide. The factors most associated with suicidal ideation were: primary level of education (OR = 0.08 (0.09 - 0.79);p = 0.03), feeling unworthy of life (OR = 0.40 (0.08 - 1.96);p = 0.02), not often being considered by those around them (OR = 2.97 (1.26 - 6.99);p = 0.01), lack of family support (OR = 0.34 (0.15 - 0.77);p = 0.01). Meanwhile, the factors associated with suicide attempts were: the fact of being rarely exposed to suicide-related media (OR = 4.17 (1.40 - 71.80);p = 0.03), and a constant feeling of sadness when returning home (OR = 18.02 (1.59 - 20.55);p = 0.01). Conclusion: More than half of sickle cell patients had had suicidal thoughts and 1/6 had made at least one suicide attempt, women and young adults being the most concerned. It is therefore necessary to ensure optimum psychological care for patients with sickle cell disease.

The Utility of Artificial Intelligence for Mood Analysis,Depression Detection,and Suicide Risk Management

Mood disorders are often an indication or a sign of depression,and individuals suffering from mood swings may face higher probability and increased suicidal tendencies.Depression-also called“clinical depression”or a“depressive disorder”-is a mood disorder that adversely impacts how an individual feels,thinks,and handles daily activities,such as sleeping,eating,or working.To be diagnosed with depression,symptoms must be present most of the time,nearly every day for at least minimum of 2 to 3 weeks.Feeling sad or having low emotional energy may be common among people.For most,however,these feelings are transitory and can be managed by changing daily life routines.But for some,prolonged mood disorders can lead to depression and foster suicidal tendencies.Suicide is a major public health concern.Over 47,000 people died by suicide in the United States in 2017.It is the 10th leading cause of death overall according to NIMH(National Institute of Mental Health).Suicide is complicated and tragic,but it is often preventable.Identifying the warning signs for suicide and how to get help can be a major mitigating factor.In this short communication,we are reviewing the promise and limitations of AI(artificial intelligence)with its integrated tools such as ML(machine learning)and DL(deep learning)for mood analysis as a means for detecting early signs of depression and increased suicidal tendencies for possible suicide risk management.

Multidimensional Approach to Suicide Prevention in Jails and Prisons: The Best Defense against Liability Lawsuits

Inmates in jails and prisons are a high-risk group for suicide. Often, legal claims of medical negligence and §1983 based on deliberate indifference by the correctional officials follow. Unique stable and dynamic factors and circumstances and their interaction explain most suicides. A systematic suicide screening using a well-designed suicide screening questionnaire that captures known risk factors will identify most inmates at risk if adequately used. Identification and subsequent mental health assessment set the stage for preventive intervention, monitoring, and treatment of the inmates. A multidimensional suicide prevention program saves not only lives but also the best defense against a liability lawsuit.

Understanding the Unique Characteristics of Suicide in China: National Psychological Autopsy Study

Objective To compare the characteristics of suicides in the four main demographic groups： urban males, urban females, rural males and rural females in order to help clarify the demographic pattern of suicides in China. Methods A detailed psychological autopsy survey instrument was independently administered to 895 suicide victims in family members and close associates from 23 geographically representative locations from around the country. Results Pesticide ingestion accounted for 58% （519） of all suicides and 61% （3181519） of deaths were due to unsuccessful medical resuscitation. A substantial proportion （37%） of suicide victims did not have a mental illness. Among the 563 victims with mental illness, only 13% （76/563） received psychiatric treatment. Compared to other demographic groups, young rural females who died from suicide had the highest rate of pesticide ingestion （79%）, the lowest prevalence of mental illness （39%）, and the highest acute stress from precipitating life events just prior to the suicide. Contusion Many suicides in China are impulsive acts of deliberate self-harm following acute interpersonal crises. Prevention of suicides in China must focus on improving awareness of psychological problems, improving mental health services, providing alternative social support networks for managing acute interpersonal conflicts, limiting access to pesticides, and improving the resuscitation skills of primary care providers.

On the role of impulsivity and decision-making in suicidal behavior

Suicide risk constitutes a complex set of interacting demographic, clinical, psychobiological and environmental variables. Impulsivity is a long-known risk factor for suicide attempts. However, research based on clearer conceptual refinement in this area is imperative. One emerging field of study is that of decision-making. Impulsivity involves a failure of higher-order control, including decision-making. Using standardized operational definitions that take into consideration relevant aspects of impulsivity, including state- and trait-components and a deeper understanding of the process of decision-making in the suicidal mind, we may come a step closer to understanding suicidality and winning the fight in this scourge of human suffering.

Prevalence and associated factors of suicide among hospitalized schizophrenic patients

BACKGROUND Previous studies found several factors associated with suicide in schizophrenic patients,such as age,sex,education level,history of suicide attempts,psychotic symptoms,social factors,and substance abuse.However,there might be some additional factors that were not considered in previous studies but may be correlated with a greater likelihood of suicide attempts,such as medication and treatment.AIM To investigate the prevalence of suicide attempts and identify the risk of suicidality in hospitalized schizophrenia patients.METHODS This is a cross-sectional study of schizophrenic patients admitted to a psychiatric hospital who were 18 years of age or more.The outcomes and possible suicide risk factors in these patients were collated.The current suicide risk was evaluated using the mini-international neuropsychiatric interview module for suicidality and categorized as none(0 points),mild(1-8 points),moderate(9-16 points),or severe(17 or more points).This study used ordinal logistic regression to assess the association of potential risk factors with the current suicide risk in schizophrenic patients.RESULTS Of 228 hospitalized schizophrenia patients,214(93.9%)were included in this study.The majority(79.0%)of patients were males.Females appeared to have a slightly higher suicidality risk than males,with borderline significance.With regard to the current suicide risk assessed with the mini-international neuropsychiatric interview,172(80.4%)schizophrenic patients scored zero,20(9.4%)had a mild risk,8(3.7%)had a moderate risk,and 14(6.5%)had a severe risk.The total prevalence of current suicide risk in these schizophrenic patients was 19.6%.Based on multivariable ordinal logistic regression analysis with backward elimination,it was found that younger age,a current major depressive episode,receiving fluoxetine or lithium carbonate in the previous month,or a relatively higher Charlson comorbidity index score were all significantly and independently associated with a higher level of suicide risk.CONCLUSION The prevalence rate of suicide attempts in schizophrenia is high.Considering risk factors in routine clinical assessments,environmental manipulations and adequate treatment might prevent or decrease suicide in these patients.

Treatment priority for suicide ideation and behaviours at an Australian emergency department

AIM: To investigate the treatment priority given to selfharmers presenting to a hospital emergency department(ED) in Queensland, Australia, over the period 2005-2010. METHODS: The main outcome measure of this study was the treatment priority given to persons presenting with suicide ideation and communication(SIC) or self-harming behaviour. Treatment priority was measured using the Australasian Triage Scale, which ranks patients from 1(in need of immediate treatment) to 5(assessment and treatment to start within 120 min). Ordered logistic regression was used to assess the broad demographic and treatment-related factors associated with more urgent triage categories and to in-vestigate which methods of non-fatal suicidal behaviour(NFSB) were prioritised as most urgent.RESULTS: Most cases of NFSB were between 15 and 34 years. A larger proportion of persons presenting for SIC were aged 35 to 44 years. Over 50% of male presentations and 38% of female presentations were for SIC. Those cases prioritised as being more urgent had significantly greater odds of being older, presented after an act of self-harm rather than SIC, and had used multiple methods of NFSB. These individuals also had greater odds of being male and having made past presentations for SIC or NFSB. Among males, those presenting after ingestion of drugs had the greatest odds of receiving immediate attention compared to SIC. "Cutters" were considered as the least "urgent" subjects, and had a greatest risk of waiting 60 to 120 min for treatment compared to suicide ideators. Among females, those presenting with chemicals, poisons and gases had the greatest odds of receiving immediate attention compared to SIC. Females who presenting after cutting themselves had lower odds of receiving immediate treatment than those who presented with SIC. CONCLUSION: ED staff seems to judge the urgency of cases based on demographic factors such as age and gender, as well as method of NFSB.

Self-Efficacy as a Suicidal Ideation Predictor: A Population Cohort Study in Rural Japan

Background: Self-efficacy has been widely studied in suicide, both in its causality and treatment effects. However, the evidence of causality is still ambiguous and there is a lack of generalizability. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between self-efficacy and suicidal ideation through a population cohort study. Methods: The community-based household survey using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted in a rural area of Japan, Happo Town, in Akita Prefecture with community residents aged 30 and over at two respective time points by local health volunteers. The baseline survey was conducted in 2010 with a response rate of 88.9% (n = 6044). Among them, 3812 residents met the inclusion criteria for the follow-up survey in 2012 where the response rate was 75.3% (n = 2869). Exposure variables to suicidal ideation included demographic details, depression and self-efficacy. The Institutional Review Board and the Ethics Committee of Akita University approved the study protocol and all subjects signed informed consent. Results: A total number of 2105 participants (76.4%) without suicidal ideation in the baseline study were enrolled into the follow-up study, and 8.2% of them had developed suicidal ideation. These participants with suicidal ideation were significantly less likely to be married/cohabitant;they had worse subjective health, poorer self-perceived economic status, stronger depressive mood, and lower self-efficacy scores. The odds ratio of the self-efficacy scores at follow-up survey for participants who had developed suicidal ideation were about 2 times lower than at baseline (95% confidence interval = 1. 53 - 3.06). After adjusting for all confounding factors, the association was still significant (OR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.15 - 2.42). Conclusion: This result suggests that suicidal ideation may be prevented by increasing self-efficacy. We suggest that self-efficacy can be an effective tool for identifying people with suicidal ideation, and increasing self-efficacy can be strategically beneficial for larger suicide prevention.

Suicide in Digestive System Cancers: A Scoping Review

Digestive system cancers are important causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide.Cancer patients are more likely to commit suicide.The objective of this scoping review is to provide a comprehensive and updated summary of the existing literature on suicide among patients with digestive system cancers to identify the incidence and risk factors relevant to suicide in these populations.The PRISMA-Scr(Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension protocol for scoping reviews)protocol was used.The review was based on relevant articles published prior to January 2022 in databases of Web of Science and PubMed.The authors identified 21 records that met the criteria for inclusion.Among the 21 articles,18(n=85.7%)reported suicide risk factors,21(n=100%)evaluated the incidence of suicide and 16(n=76.2%)involved the variation in suicide rates.Only one study comprehensively reported that the suicide rate for this population was 32.8 per 100,000 years and the standardized mortality ratio(SMR)was 1.91.Most suicides occurred in patients with pancreatic,esophageal,and gastric cancers.The factors associated with suicide in digestive system cancers included male gender,older age,the white race,single status,advanced stage of disease,and cancer metastasis.The most critical time for suicide was in the early post-diagnostic period.It is indispensable to identify suicide in these cancer patients,especially those with high-risk factors.In the future,more prospective research may be needed to provide more reliable support and care to prevent suicide.

Promoting Time-Efficient Care for Suicidal Patients in the Emergency Department

Patients who present to an emergency department are in a vulnerable state of mind. The population in the emergency department is continuously growing. Acute stages of mental health problems can bring patients to the emergency department for care. Psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, living alone, depression, hopelessness, previous suicide attempts, self-devaluation, agitation, and insomnia are some risk factors that predispose individuals to suicide. Suicidal patients’ care in the emergency department can be challenging for healthcare professionals due to the complex environment and numerous other emergencies occurring altogether. Suicidal patients do not get the timely medical attention they need from clinicians. As a result, there are little information and few protocols in emergency departments about the correlation of the timely care and how it can affect the patients during the emergency department visit.

On the Nature of Suicide—Suicide as a Multipurpose Behaviour Nested in the Human Mind—An Alternative View!

Suicide is a universal human phenomenon and seems to be a multipurpose behaviour which occurs in a number of different situations that not necessarily have to do with mental distress/disorder. It might as well be a kind of defence of a threatened self-image or revenge or punishment or weapon in a struggle for something more important than the own life. Is there a suicidal virus or meme nested in the human mind? Maybe it is the mere idea of suicide as an alternative way of dealing with a number of human dilemmas that should be the focus of our suicide preventive efforts? Suicide ideas are common in most populations, but ideas are just ideas. It is when the ideas—the suicidal thoughts—are converted to actions that they become dangerous. The focus for our suicide preventive work should be to counteract a destructive use of suicidal ideation. So, the crucial question is thus: how do we do that?

Newspaper Reporting of Suicide Impact on Rate of Suicide in the Contemporary Society in Sri Lanka

Suicide has been largely investigated by many researchers in a variety of perspectives. The objective of this study is to identify the relationship between the rate of suicide in contemporary society and how it can be affected by the way of suicide reporting at the same time. Qualitative method is used to analysis the data capturing from observation, interviews and textual analysis. Special attention has been paid to the news reporting in the suicide in Sri Lankan newspapers. Sinhala medium newspapers： Lankadeepa, Diwaina, Lakbima, Silumina, Dinamina, Rivira, were used as the major sample of this study. Time period is located from January 2000 to January 2010. In conclusion, Suicide has been reporting in Sri Lanka as a heroic and sensational action for the target of maximum selling and the financial benefit of media institutions. Use of Language in suicide reporting and the placement of the story in the newspaper have been two major factors that cause to glamorize the incident. Suicide reporting is highly sensational and rhetorically made by the ownership of the media and non-ethical consideration of the journalism in Sri Lanka. Victims and vulnerable are encouraged to get in to suicide and they are generally encouraged to their action for faith. Suicide should be reported in the newspaper as a problem of mental health and attention should be drawn to well inform the public on the issue. Human incidents should not be reported in media for cheap commercial purposes that indirectly chance to gain much financial profit through the highest selling and expansion. This study suggest to take necessary action to immediately make a frame of ethics of media reporting that avoids such unethical reporting in the practice of suicide reporting in Sri Lanka.