The effect of sexual abuse and dissociation on suicide attempt

Background Suicide attempt is the most predictive risk factor of suicide. Trauma – especially sexual abuse – is a risk factor for suicide attempt and suicide. A common reaction to sexual abuse is dissociation. Higher levels of dissociation are linked to self-harm, suicide ideation, and suicide attempt, but the role of dissociation in suicidal behavior is unclear. Methods In this naturalistic study, ninety-seven acute psychiatric patients with suicidal ideation, of whom 32 had experienced sexual abuse, were included. Suicidal behaviour was assessed with The Columbia suicide history form (CSHF). The Brief trauma questionnaire (BTQ) was used to identify sexual abuse. Dissociative symptoms were assessed with Dissociative experiences scale (DES). Results Patients who had experienced sexual abuse reported higher levels of dissociation and were younger at onset of suicidal thoughts, more likely to self-harm, and more likely to have attempted suicide; and they had made more suicide attempts. Mediation analysis found dissociative experiences to significantly mediate a substantive proportion of the relationship between sexual abuse and number of suicide attempts (indirect effects = 0.17, 95% CI = 0.05, 0.28, proportion mediated = 68%). Dissociative experiences significantly mediated the role of sexual abuse as a predictor of being in the patient group with more than four suicide attempts (indirect effects = 0.11, 95% CI = 0.02, 0.19, proportion mediated = 34%). Conclusion The results illustrate the importance of assessment and treatment of sexual abuse and trauma-related symptoms such as dissociation in suicide prevention. Dissociation can be a contributing factor to why some people act on their suicidal thoughts.

Depression and Suicide Analysis Using Machine Learning and NLP

Depression is a common type of mental illness that can impair performance and lead to suicide ideation or attempts. Traditional techniques used by mental health experts can assist in determining an individual’s type of depression. Machine learning and NLP were used to understand how to predict posts that indicate depression in people and their accuracy. For this work, we have used a dataset from reddit. Reddit is an ideal destination to use as a supplement to the traditional public health system because of its punctuality in exchanging ideas, versatility in presenting emotions, as well as compatibility to use medical terms. We examined the comments and posts about suicidal ideation. We used NLP to gain a better understanding of interdisciplinary fields which are related to suicide. We discovered two help groups for depression and suicidal thoughts: r/depression and r/SuicideWatch. The famous “SuicideWatch” subreddit is commonly used by people who have thoughts of suicide and gives significant signals for suicidal behavior. A brief scan through the articles discloses that the subreddits are legitimate online spots to seek assistance and provide honest text data about people’s mental state. We have used multiple ML algorithms such as Naïve Bayes, SVM. To address the research problem, we have considered two subreddits that provided us with appropriate information to track people at risk. We achieved results of 77.29 % accuracy and 0.77 f1-score of Logistic Regression, 74.35 % accuracy and 0.74 f1-score of Naïve Bayes, 77.120% accuracy and 0.77 f1-score of Support Vector Machine, 77.298% accuracy, and 0.77 f1-score of Random Forest.

Factors associated with suicide ideation of healthcare university students

ABSTRACT Objectives: to analyze the factors associated with suicidal ideation in students from healthcare graduation courses. Methods: quantitative, cross-sectional study, with 251 students from the courses of radiology, speech-language therapy, medicine, nutrition, health service management, and nursing, from a federal higher education institution in the Southeast of Brazil. Data were collected from August to October 2019, using an electronic questionnaire. Results: the prevalence of suicidal ideation among participants was 26.33%. In the final logistic regression model, only depressive symptoms were associated with suicidal ideation. Having symptoms of depression increased the chances of suicidal ideation 2.6 times. Conclusion: the high prevalence of suicidal ideation and its associated factors constitutes a situational diagnosis that demands the elaboration of public and institutional policies, focused on the promotion and attention to the mental health of the students.

A Gender Mirrored Framework into Suicidal Ideation and Associated Risk Factors

The study assessed a gender mirrored framework into suicidal ideation and associated risk factors among undergraduates amid the prevalence of suicide ideation. A cross-sectional design was adopted for this study. The sample size was 993 respondents selected from undergraduates in public and private universities. The Statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 23 was utilized in analyzing the data from this study. Four null hypotheses on gender, suicide ideation, and four psychosocial risk factors (depression, childhood adversity, economic recession, and media reporting) were raised and tested at a 0.05 level of significance. The results revealed a highly significant correlation between gender and suicide ideation. Childhood adversity is associated with gender (r = -.149, p >0.01). The relationship between gender, suicidation, and economic recession was also significant. The study recommended that gender-specific suicide prevention and intervention programme should be provided by institutions of higher learning and the creation of awareness on the effect of childhood experience on the latter psychological health of a person.

Pemikiran Bunuh Diri dalam Kalangan Lelaki Gay yang Mengalami Kemurungan: Satu Kajian Kes

Gay men are among high-risk minority groups that are vulnerable to depression and suicidality, having three times the rate of depression compared to the general adult population. They are also at high risk for suicidality. Despite the high prevalence of such disorders, medical practitioners have tended to focus more on aspects related to diseases and their medical treatment and rarely explore factors contributing to those mental issues. In general, gay men have weak coping strategies when dealing with mental health issues. This research explores a single case study of a gay male who had depression that led to suicidal thoughts. SBQ-R is used to measure the level of suicidal thoughts, and in-depth interviews were employed to explore the risk factors contributing to suicide ideation. The findings show that risk factors underlying depression and suicidality among gay men include lack of family acceptance of their sexual identities, low social support, internalized homophobia, and societal stigma. The paper discusses in detail the barriers preventing gay men from seeking help as well as how mental health practitioners might advance the well-being of this underserved minority group by effectively addressing depression and suicidality. Abstrak Lelaki gay adalah kumpulan minoriti berisiko tinggi yang terdedah kepada kemurungan dan bunuh diri. Jumlah kemurungan dalam kalangan lelaki gay adalah tiga kali lebih tinggi daripada populasi dewasa umum. Mereka juga berisiko tinggi untuk bunuh diri. Walaupun terdapat kemunculan kemurungan dan bunuh diri yang tinggi, pengamal perubatan cenderung memberi tumpuan kepada masalah kesihatan seperti virus dan ubat-ubatan tetapi jarang sekali mereka menekankan faktor-faktor yang menyebabkan mereka mengalami kemurungan. Justeru itu, lelaki gay mempunyai strategi daya tindak yang negatif ketika menangani masalah kesihatan mental. Kajian ini meneroka satu kajian kes lelaki gay yang mengalami kemurungan dan membawa kepada pemikiran bunuh diri. Inventori Kecenderungan Bunuh Diri (IKBD) telah digunakan untuk mengukur kecenderungan pemikiran bunuh diri dan temubual mendalam untuk meneroka faktor risiko yang menyumbang kepada ideasi bunuh diri. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan terdapat beberapa faktor risiko kemurungan dan bunuh diri dalam kalangan lelaki gay termasuk kekurangan penerimaan keluarga berkaitan identiti seksual mereka, sokongan sosial, budaya homofobia, dan stigma masyarakat. Halangan untuk mendapatkan bantuan juga dibincangkan secara terperinci, bagaimana pengamal kesihatan mental dapat membantu mengatasi kemurungan dan bunuh diri dan seterusnya mencapai kesejahteraan mental kumpulan minoriti yang kurang terlindung ini.

Prevalence and Correlates of Serious Injuries among Adolescents in Mauritius

Introduction. Injuries are a major global health problem that affects teenagers in many countries. Though several studies have been done in many countries, little is known among adolescents in Mauritius. Therefore, our paper explored the prevalence and correlates of serious injuries among adolescents in Mauritius. Methods. We analysed the 2017 Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS) data from Mauritius, using the Chi-square test and binomial logistic regression analysis with adjusted odds ratio (AOR) at 95% confidence interval (CI). Results. The prevalence of serious injuries among adolescents in Mauritius stood at 39.0%. Also, the predictors of serious injuries included sex (AOR = 0.70, CI = 0.58–0.81), physical attack (AOR = 0.47, CI = 0.39–0.57), being bullied (AOR = 0.48, CI = 0.48–0.70), suicide ideation (AOR = 0.65, CI = 0.49–0.85), hunger (AOR = 0.65, CI = 0.48–0.86), truancy from school (AOR = 0.77, CI = 0.63–0.93), marijuana use (AOR = 0.54, CI = 0.39–0.76), alcohol consumption (AOR = 0.64, CI = 0.70–0.98), and parental neglect (AOR = 0.83, CI = 0.70–0.98). Conclusion. The rate of injury among adolescents in Mauritius is moderately high, with sex, suicidal thought, hunger, truancy, drug use, and parental neglect as correlates. There is an urgent need for health promotion interventions at family, community, and school levels to deal with this level of serious injuries and the factors influencing such occurrences among these adolescents in Mauritius.

Predictors of Caregiver Burden Among Carers of Suicide Attempt Survivors

Background: Family members often provide informal care following a suicide attempt. Carers may be vulnerable to caregiver burden. Yet, little is known about what contributes to this. Aims: To determine the predictors of caregiver burden in those carers who support people who have attempted suicide. Method: An online survey of 435 participants assessed exposure to suicide, caring behaviors, and psychological variables and caregiver burden. Results: A multivariate model explained 52% of variance in caregiver burden. Being female, closeness to the person, impact of suicide attempt, frequency of contact pre-attempt, and psychological distress were positively associated with caregiver burden. Confidence in supporting the person after suicide attempt, perceived adequacy of healthcare the person received and the support the carer received, and suicidal ideation of the carer were negatively associated with caregiver burden. Moderation analysis suggested that carers with high levels of distress reported negative association between suicidal ideation and caregiver burden. Limitations: The cross-sectional online survey design of self-identified carers is a limitation of the study. Conclusion: Carers are highly distressed, and if unsupported report increased suicide ideation. In their caring roles they may have contact with support services, thus attending to their needs may ameliorate caregiver burden and associated negative outcomes.