Suicide Outside the Frame of Mental Illness: Exploring Suicidal Behaviors in Global and Cultural Contexts

2021 ◽  
pp. 143-154
Author(s):  
Rida Malick ◽  
James L. Griffith
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Suicidal Behaviors ◽  
Cultural Contexts

Deranged Psychopaths and Victims Who Go Insane: Visibility and Invisibility in the Depiction of Mental Health and Illness in Contemporary Legend

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane E. Goldstein
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Male Aggression ◽  
Cultural Contexts ◽  
Mental Health And Illness ◽  
Health And Illness ◽  
Parallel Texts

In chapter 7, “Deranged Psychopaths and Victims Who Go Insane: Visibility and Invisibility in the Depiction of Mental Health and Illness in Contemporary Legend,” Diane E. Goldstein analyzes the portrayal of mental illness in contemporary legends, focusing on the values inherent in depictions of demented killers, quietly “mad” neighbors, and psychologically damaged victims. Taken as a group and read as parallel texts, Goldstein argues that these narratives construct and present a complex of images of mental health and illness set in changing historical and cultural contexts. Together, she asserts, the narratives create explanatory categories for mental illness and convey popular understandings of “madness”; they equate insanity with visibility of difference; they explore the gendered associations of male aggression and female passivity, and they pinpoint areas of socially tolerable and intolerable deviance.

Balance Beams and Suicide-Risk Screening

2021 ◽  
pp. 49-76
Author(s):  
Craig J. Bryan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Suicide Risk ◽  
Warning Signs ◽  
Screening Tools ◽  
Warning Sign ◽  
Suicidal Behaviors ◽  
Risk Screening ◽  
Illness Model ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Suicide Risk Screening

This chapter examines how the mental illness model of suicide has led us to place more faith than may be warranted in concepts such as suicide “warning signs” and suicide-risk screening tools. These concepts are notoriously unreliable indicators of emerging suicidal behaviors because they do not sufficiently reflect the inherently dynamic and ever-changing nature of suicide risk. Any given warning sign for suicide will be wrong much, much more often than it will be right. Even when multiple warning signs are experienced or expressed by an individual, this problem persists. One factor limiting the accuracy of suicide-risk screening is that thoughts about death and suicide fluctuate over time. Thus, we should move away from assuming that we must know who will and who will not attempt suicide to prevent these behaviors from occurring.

The 90% Statistic

2021 ◽  
pp. 25-48
Author(s):  
Craig J. Bryan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Confirmation Bias ◽  
Suicidal Behaviors ◽  
Psychological Autopsy

This chapter evaluates the centrality of mental illness in discussions of suicide and argues that the predominance of this perspective reflects confirmation bias, which is the tendency to search for and interpret information in a way that supports our beliefs and assumptions. Most people who are actively involved in suicide prevention learned that 90% of those who die by suicide were struggling with a mental illness at the time of their death. As a tool for diagnosing mental illness among individuals who cannot speak for themselves, however, the psychological autopsy method is vulnerable to confirmation bias. Instead of assuming that most or all individuals who die by suicide have a mental illness, a more balanced and accurate perspective would be that some individuals who die by suicide have a mental illness and some individuals who die by suicide do not. The chapter concludes that mental illness is only weakly correlated with suicidal behaviors and a much larger percentage of suicides than we may have traditionally recognized occur in the absence of mental illness.

scholarly journals Suicidal behaviors among Bangladeshi university students: Prevalence and risk factors

PLoS ONE ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. e0262006
Author(s):  
M. Rasheduzzaman ◽  
Firoj al-Mamun ◽  
Ismail Hosen ◽  
Tahmina Akter ◽  
Moazzem Hossain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Suicide Attempt ◽  
University Students ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Suicidal Behaviors ◽  
Family Mental Health ◽  
Academic Study

Background Bangladeshi university students are considered to be highly suicide-prone compared to other populations and cohorts. However, no prior epidemiological studies have assessed the suicidality (i.e., past-year suicidal ideation [SI], lifetime suicide plan [SP], and lifetime suicide attempt [SA]) among Bangladeshi students, including the variables such as past-year stressful life events and family mental health history. This is arguably a major knowledge gap in the country. Therefore, the present study investigated the prevalence and associated risk factors for suicidal behaviors among Bangladeshi university students. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted utilizing a convenience sampling method among a total of 1844 university students between October and November 2019. Data were collected based on the information related to socio-demographics, perceived health-related questions, past-year stressful life events, family mental health history, and suicidal behaviors (i.e., SI, SP, and SA). Chi-square tests and binary logistic regressions were used to analyze the data utilizing SPSS statistical software. Results The prevalence of past-year suicidal ideation, lifetime suicide plans, and suicide attempts were 13.4%, 6.0%, and 4.4%, respectively. Females reported significantly higher suicidal behavior than males (i.e., 20.6% vs.10.2% SI; 9% vs. 4.6% SP; and 6.4% vs.3.6% SA). Risk factors for SI were being female, year of academic study, residing in an urban area, using psychoactive substances, experiencing both past year physical and mental illness, experiencing any type of stressful past-year life events, experiencing campus ragging (i.e., senior students abusing, humiliating and/or harassing freshers or more junior students), experiencing family mental illness history, and having family suicide attempt history. SP was associated with several factors including being female, year of academic study, using psychoactive substance, experiencing both past-year physical and mental illness, and experiencing any type of stressful past-year life events. Risk factors for SA were being female, year of academic study, using psychoactive substances, experiencing past-year mental illness, experiencing any type of stressful past-year life events, and having family suicide attempt history. Conclusions University students appear to be a vulnerable group for experiencing suicidal behaviors. The present findings warrant rigorous action and early intervention programs such as counseling and other mental health professional services by university authorities. Longitudinal studies are highly recommended involving countrywide representative samples.

scholarly journals Mental health and integration in Asia Pacific

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 76-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chee H. Ng
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Cultural Contexts

This brief report examines the extent to which community-based treatment and integration support are provided for people living with mental illness across 15 selected Asia-Pacific economies. Some of the key findings are discussed in light of the diversity of economies and cultural contexts.

scholarly journals Contours of Positive Mental Health: An Exploratory Delphi Study from India

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 66
Author(s):  
Chowdhury ◽  
Raguram ◽  
Mehrotra
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Delphi Study ◽  
Delphi Technique ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Positive Mental Health ◽  
Professional Experience ◽  
Cultural Contexts ◽  
Narrow Focus

The need to broaden attention from a narrow focus on mental illness and pathology to investing in understanding and enhancing positive mental health is well recognized. The bulk of research on positive mental health tends to be largely based onwestern developed nationconceptualizations. This highlights the need to examine the construct of positive mental health in diverse socio-cultural contexts. Present study aimed at exploring indicators and dimensions of positive mental health in Indian adults. A two-step Delphi technique, involving a vignette- based tool was used for facilitating a contextualised understanding of indicators of positive mental health. The sample consisted of a panel of 35 experts from different regions of India, majority of whom had >10 years of professional experience. Using a bottom-up approach, content analysis of the emergent data in terms of responses of experts to 10 vignettes resulted in identification and operationalisation of 33 indicators which could be grouped under 13 dimensions. Comparisons with popular well-being frameworks indicated that eight of these could be considered newer dimensions. Though the remaining dimensions significantly overlapped with existing dimensions of well-being in the western literature; finer differences in their meanings and constituents were observed. Finding have implications for further research.

scholarly journals National trends in non-fatal suicidal behaviors among adults in the USA from 2009 to 2017

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Lindsay A. Bornheimer ◽  
Kaipeng Wang ◽  
Anao Zhang ◽  
Juliann Li ◽  
Elise E. Trim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Drug Dependence ◽  
Health Assessment ◽  
Suicidal Behaviors ◽  
Suicide Death ◽  
Interaction Terms ◽  
The Usa ◽  
National Trends ◽  
Suicide Plan

Abstract Background The age-adjusted rate of suicide death in the USA has increased significantly since 2000 and little is known about national trends in non-fatal suicidal behaviors (ideation, plan, and attempt) among adults and their associated sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. This study examined trends in non-fatal suicidal behaviors among adults in the USA. Methods Data were obtained from adults 18–65 years of age who participated in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), including mental health assessment, from 2009 to 2017 (n = 335 359). Examinations of data involved trend analysis methods with the use of logistic regressions and interaction terms. Results Suicidal ideation showed fluctuation from 2009 to 2017, whereas suicide plan and attempt showed significantly positive linear trends with the odds increasing by an average of 3% and 4%, respectively. Suicide plan increased the most for females and adults ages 18–34, and attempt increased the most for adults with drug dependence. Both plan and attempt increased the most among adults who either had mental illness but were not in treatment or had no mental illness. Conclusions Given attempted suicide is the strongest known risk factor for suicide death, reducing non-fatal suicidal behaviors including attempt are important public health and clinical goals. The interactional findings of age, sex, mental health status, and drug dependence point toward the importance of tailoring prevention efforts to various sociodemographic and clinical factors.

Devaluating Death Education through Short-Term Suicide Intervention Programs

1992 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond L. Schmitt ◽  
Tracy D. Ellman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Intervention Programs ◽  
Suicidal Behaviors ◽  
Death Education ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Suicide Intervention ◽  
Mass Society ◽  
Program Content ◽  
Education Courses

The wisdom and results of the Shaffer et al. study [1] are challenged regarding: 1) program content, 2) length of student exposure, 3) instructor competence, and, particularly 4) the implicit conceptualization of suicide as a simplistic rather than a complex, interpretive act. Certainly to conclude, or even to imply, that the effectiveness of all educational suicide intervention efforts are doomed, or that suicide is a function of mental illness rather than the stresses and losses experienced through living in mass society, is clearly unwarranted. The value of ongoing death education courses of semester length for the tempering of suicidal behaviors is argued.

Fool’s Gold: Psychologists Using Disingenuous Reasoning to Mislead Legislatures into Granting Psychologists Prescriptive Authority

2003 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 489-524
Author(s):  
Brent Pollitt
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Nurse Practitioners ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
American Psychological Association ◽  
The United States ◽  
Psychotropic Medications ◽  
American Psychological ◽  
Training Requirements ◽  
Prescriptive Authority

Mental illness is a serious problem in the United States. Based on “current epidemiological estimates, at least one in five people has a diagnosable mental disorder during the course of a year.” Fortunately, many of these disorders respond positively to psychotropic medications. While psychiatrists write some of the prescriptions for psychotropic medications, primary care physicians write more of them. State legislatures, seeking to expand patient access to pharmacological treatment, granted physician assistants and nurse practitioners prescriptive authority for psychotropic medications. Over the past decade other groups have gained some form of prescriptive authority. Currently, psychologists comprise the primary group seeking prescriptive authority for psychotropic medications.The American Society for the Advancement of Pharmacotherapy (“ASAP”), a division of the American Psychological Association (“APA”), spearheads the drive for psychologists to gain prescriptive authority. The American Psychological Association offers five main reasons why legislatures should grant psychologists this privilege: 1) psychologists’ education and clinical training better qualify them to diagnose and treat mental illness in comparison with primary care physicians; 2) the Department of Defense Psychopharmacology Demonstration Project (“PDP”) demonstrated non-physician psychologists can prescribe psychotropic medications safely; 3) the recommended post-doctoral training requirements adequately prepare psychologists to prescribe safely psychotropic medications; 4) this privilege will increase availability of mental healthcare services, especially in rural areas; and 5) this privilege will result in an overall reduction in medical expenses, because patients will visit only one healthcare provider instead of two–one for psychotherapy and one for medication.

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