Verified Document

Suicide Is A Serious Issue For Concern, Essay

Suicide is a serious issue for concern, as it is a major cause of unnatural death throughout the world. A death may be classified as a suicide if an individual has died as a direct result of a deliberate act with the intention of causing one's death (Australian Government Department of Health and Aging, 2007). Approximately two-thousand Australians commit suicide every year, which has a devastating effect on the families, friends, work places and communities around them (Australian Government Department of Health and Aging, 2007). Research demonstrates that suicide rates in Australia have declined steadily since the late 1990s among males, while the suicide rates among females have remained constant (Australian Government Department of Health and Aging, 2007). However, the rates for males are still high, accounting for approximately 78% of total suicide deaths, and suicide accounted for about 20% of all deaths among young men in the age category of 20 to 34 years-old in 2006 (Australian Government Department of Health and Aging, 2007). In regards to the region of South Australia in particular, the suicide rate in 2006 was 10/100,000 deaths, ranking it as the region with the third highest death rate in Australia (Australian Government Department of Health and Aging, 2007). There are certain groups of people in the Australian community who have been identified as being at higher risk of suicide. These groups include men, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people in rural or remote communities, people being treated for mental illness in a psychiatric facility or those recently discharged, people who previously have attempted suicide, people bereaved by suicide, and people from backgrounds that are culturally and linguistically diverse (Australian Government Department of Health and Aging, 2007). Throughout the world, higher suicide...

Low-income countries exhibit much higher suicide rates than Australia, which may be a result of insufficient resources available for prevention programs (Milner & Del Leo, 2010).
There are several factors involved in the efficacy of suicide prevention initiatives. It is suggested in a study by Saini et al. (2010) that primary care provided by physicians may be a key setting for effective suicide prevention. These researchers sought to describe services available in general practice for the management of patients who may be suicidal and they examined physicians' views regarding these practices (Saini et al., 2010). Physicians within this study reported a lack of access to mental health services in primary and secondary care for individuals that may be suicidal, as well as a lack of options for treatment for individuals who have been diagnosed with anxiety or depression (Saini et al., 2010). Overall, physicians expressed concerns regarding the provision of training and services in the realm of mental health problems associated with suicide risk, and specifically for the prevention of suicidal ideation and self-harm (Saini et al., 2010).

Suicide prevention initiatives should have a focus on early recognition and treatment of mental illnesses (Kostenuik & Ratnapalan, 2010). Psychiatric illness is one of the most important risk factors for suicide, and suicide is most often precluded by the presence of mood disorders, addiction, or a previous suicide attempt (Kostenuik & Ratnapalan, 2010), Especially among adolescents, some…

Sources used in this document:
References

Australian Government, Department of Health and Aging (2007). Fact sheet 3: statistics on suicide in Australia. Living is For Everyone. Retrieved November 22, 2010 from http://www.livingisforeveryone.com.au/IgnitionSuite/uploads/docs/LIFE-Factsheet3.pdf.

Kostenuik, M. & Ratnapalan, M. (2010). Approach to adolescent suicide prevention. Canadian Family Physician, 56(8), 755-60.

Milner, A. & De Leo, D. (2010). Suicide research and prevention in developing countris in Asia and the Pacific. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 88(10), 795-6.

Milner, A., McClure, R., & De Leo, D. (2010). Socio-economic determinants of suicide: an ecological analysis of 35 countries. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, (Epub ahead of print). Retrieved November 22, 2010 from PubMed database.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Teen Depression, Suicide Report Issued
Words: 2216 Length: 7 Document Type: Term Paper

2007). A teenager who uses drugs or alcohol as escape mechanisms might need to cease their addictive behaviors before symptoms are relieved, because some drugs and alcohol exacerbate pre-existing depression and increase the risk of suicide (Van Voorhees 2007). Van Voorhees (2007) also points out that some physical illnesses can create symptoms that mimic depression and so doctors should perform a litany of blood tests to make more accurate diagnoses

Major Legal Issues Concerning Female Inmates
Words: 7415 Length: 23 Document Type: Research Paper

Women in Prison Major Legal Issues Concerning Female Inmates Problems in corrections: Dealing with the unique needs of women in the prison system The number of female prison inmates in America and internationally is growing. Although men still outnumber women in the prison population, the rates of female incarceration, once considered relatively nominal, have skyrocketed. "In the U.S., where the prison and jail population reached two million in the year 2000, women's incarceration is

Suicide Is a Popular Alternative
Words: 1791 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

Just because a person does not react the same way to the college experience or to stress as you do does not make them wrong, it simply means they are human and have their own ideas. Do not judge your friends, but try to help them instead. In conclusion, student suicide is a growing problem in our country today, for a variety of reasons. Students are under more pressure than

Suicide Prevention Intervention in the Emergency Department
Words: 3348 Length: 11 Document Type: Essay

Lack of Mental Treatment and Support Introduction and Overview Emergency departments (EDs) can play a major role in reducing the risk and occurrence of suicide, self-harm and harm caused to others by taking steps to create a safety plan for the patient (Stanley et al., 2018). However, many EDs do very little to actually assist patients in this regard. My own experience at Legacy Treatment Center, where I interned, allowed me to

Suicide by Young People Today
Words: 1665 Length: 6 Document Type:

Suicide Prevention Training Project Today, suicide is a major public health problem, accounting for more than 36,000 deaths in the United States each year (NYC guide to suicide prevention, services and resources, 2011). If fact, deaths from suicides cause as many fatalities as AIDS and homicide combined (NYC guide to suicide prevention, services and resources, 2011). Moreover, the overwhelming majority (90%) of people who commit suicide each year suffer from a

Ethical Issues of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia
Words: 6393 Length: 16 Document Type: Term Paper

Ethical Issues of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia The ethical issues relating to assisted suicide and euthanasia have captured the attention of the public. The topic of Euthanasia is a contentious one and it inescapably incites strong emotional argument and gives rise to tough beliefs that do not straight away lend themselves to consensual harmony. It is improbable that a decision can be reached which will meet with universal support whenever such

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now