Comparing the reasons for suicide from attempt survivors and their families in Ghana.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Background
Family members are key in detecting early suicide warning signs. This study compared the reasons for suicidality as reported by attempt survivors with their family folks in Ghana.Methods
A qualitative design was used to select a sample size of 20 (10 family members and 10 suicide attempt survivors). Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.Results
Analysis of the data showed two major themes: 1) Similar Reasons (where both families and attempt survivors consistently reported similar reasons for suicidality and 2) Different Reasons (where there were sharp divergences).Conclusions
Findings from this study help to understand the readiness of attempt survivor family members to intervene early during suicidal crisis.
SUBMITTER: Asare-Doku W
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6469126 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Comparing the reasons for suicide from attempt survivors and their families in Ghana.
Asare-Doku Winifred W Osafo Joseph J Akotia Charity S CS
BMC public health 20190416 1
<h4>Background</h4>Family members are key in detecting early suicide warning signs. This study compared the reasons for suicidality as reported by attempt survivors with their family folks in Ghana.<h4>Methods</h4>A qualitative design was used to select a sample size of 20 (10 family members and 10 suicide attempt survivors). Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.<h4>Results</h4>Analysis of the data showed two major themes: 1) Similar Reasons (where both families and attempt survivors c ...[more]
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Project description:BackgroundSuicide attempts have a profound emotional impact on both individuals and society as a whole. This qualitative study delves into three key aspects: 1) the progression through the suicidal process, 2) the influential factors facilitating the transition from ideation to attempt using the volitional moderators within the integrated motivational-volitional (IMV) model, and 3) preventive strategies impeding this transition from ideation to attempt.MethodsBetween October 1, 2022 and March 7, 2023 we interviewed 27 adults (23 women, four men, mean age 33 years) who attempted suicide within the past 12 months. Participants were recruited through social media and in collaboration with several mental health institutions in the Netherlands. The participants were initially screened and interviewed based on the Pathway to Suicidal Actions Interview. Analysis was performed employing the constant comparative method.FindingsDespite the heterogeneity of the suicidal process, suicidal thoughts predominately emerged during adolescence (Mdn = 15, M = 17.8). In most participants, planning and preparatory actions occurred long before the attempt, with a median of six years prior to the attempt for the selection of the method. All volitional moderators were observed, although pain sensitivity in particular varied among participants. Access to lethal means and planning emerged as important moderators in the suicidal process. Asking the survivors what could have helped to prevent their attempts, most participants mentioned that they felt their suicidality was not taken seriously enough.InterpretationWe discussed the significance of planning in the suicidal process, challenges in conceptualizing planning and impulsivity, and individual differences in pain sensitivity. Based on the findings, we underscore the critical need for restricting access to means, giving greater consideration to preparatory actions within the suicidal process, and fostering open dialogues about suicidality.FundingThis research was funded by ProRail, the Dutch rail infrastructure manager in line with their work on mental health.
| S-EPMC10850107 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveIdentifying digital markers of sleep disturbance-a known suicide risk factor-may aid in the detection of imminent suicide risk. This study examined sleep-related communication and texting patterns in personal text messages (N = 86,705) of suicide attempt survivors.MethodTwenty-six participants provided dates of past suicide attempts and 2-week periods of positive mood, depressed mood, or suicidal ideation. Linguistic Inquiry Word Count was used to identify sleep-related texts via a custom dictionary. Mixed effect models were fitted to test the association between suicide/mood episode type (e.g., attempt versus ideation) and three outcomes: likelihood of a text including sleep-related content, nightly count of texts sent from midnight to 5:00 AM, and sum of unique hour bins from midnight to 5:00 AM with outgoing texts.ResultsAnalyses with a sleep dictionary that was manually revised to be more accurate (but not the original unedited dictionary) showed sleep-related communication was more likely during depressed mood episodes than positive mood episodes. Otherwise, there were no significant differences in sleep-related communication or objective texting patterns across episode type.ConclusionsAlthough we did not detect differences in sleep-related communication tied to suicidal thoughts or behaviors, sleep-related communication may differ as a function of within-person mood level.
| S-EPMC9908817 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundGlobally, suicide is the third leading cause of death among girls aged 15-19 years. However, there is a growing concern that suicide research has paid little attention to pregnant adolescent girls, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries, including Ghana, where nearly one in seven adolescents experiences (unwanted) pregnancy.AimsTo assess the prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempt and the self-reported reasons for attempted suicide among pregnant adolescent girls in Ghana.MethodsWe collected cross-sectional data (between August 2022 and December 2023) using structured anonymous questionnaires from a sample of 449 pregnant adolescent girls (aged 14-19 years) drawn from the three geographical zones of Ghana. We applied bivariable and multivariable analysis techniques to the data.ResultsOverall, 28.51% (95% confidence interval (CI) 24.37% to 32.93%) reported suicidal ideation, and 18.04% (95% CI 14.59% to 21.91%) reported suicide attempt during the current pregnancy. Participants who reported attempted suicide endorsed more interpersonal reasons (eg, to communicate distress, to seek help or to influence others) than intrapersonal reasons for their attempted suicide. In the final adjusted logistic regression models, food insecurity (adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=2.69; 95% CI 1.34 to 5.41; p=0.005) was uniquely associated with increased odds of suicidal ideation. Adverse childhood experiences (aOR=3.04; 95% CI 1.33 to 6.97; p=0.008), history of attempted suicide before current pregnancy (aOR=3.47; 95% CI 1.27 to 9.47; p=0.0.015) and depression (measured by the 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index; aOR=0.31; 95% CI 0.12 to 0.77; p=0.012) were uniquely associated with increased odds of suicide attempt. Five variables were commonly associated with increased odds of both suicidal ideation and suicide attempt: conflict with parents, alcohol use, pregnancy-related anxiety, history of attempted suicide and intimate partner violence. While being in junior high school was uniquely associated with reduced odds of suicidal ideation, intimate partner's acceptance of paternity was commonly associated with reduced odds of both suicidal ideation and suicide attempt.ConclusionsAlthough the prevalence estimates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempt in this study are comparable with known rates among non-pregnant adolescent girls in Ghana, additional research is needed to nuance our understanding of the correlates identified in this study. The evidence also highlights a need for both routine antepartum primary care mental health screening for suicidality and related risks and targeted prevention and intervention programmes.
| S-EPMC11751811 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveThe current study endeavored to establish the feasibility and acceptability of a brief intervention for medically admitted suicide attempt survivors.MethodFifty patients admitted to a Level 1 trauma center were recruited following a suicide attempt. The first 10 patients provided information on what constituted usual care, which in turn informed the creation of the intervention manual and research design. The next 10 patients informed refinement of the intervention and research procedures. The final 30 patients were randomized in a pre-post research design to receive the teachable moment brief intervention plus usual care or usual care only. Patients were assessed prior to randomization and 1 month later by blinded research assistants. Outcomes included patient satisfaction, readiness to change problematic behaviors, reasons for living, and suicidal ideation.ResultsPatients rated the brief intervention as "good" to "great" on all items related to client satisfaction. Significant group × time interactions were observed for readiness to change (β=9.02, S.D.=3.73, P=.02) and reasons for living (β=29.60, S.D.=10.22, P=.004), suggesting greater improvement for those patients who received the brief intervention.ConclusionsPatients admitted to an acute inpatient medical setting may benefit from a brief intervention that complements usual care by focusing specifically on the functional aspects of the suicide attempt in a collaborative, patient-centered manner.
| S-EPMC4558367 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionEffective, brief, low-cost interventions for suicide attempt survivors are essential to saving lives and achieving the goals of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and Zero Suicide. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of the Attempted Suicide Short Intervention Program (ASSIP) in averting suicide reattempts in the United States healthcare system, its psychological mechanisms as predicted by the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide, and the potential implementation costs, barriers and facilitators for delivering it.Methods and analysisThis study is a hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation randomised controlled trial (RCT). ASSIP is delivered at three outpatient mental healthcare clinics in New York State. Participant referral sites include three local hospitals with inpatient and comprehensive psychiatric emergency services, and outpatient mental health clinics. Participants include 400 adults who have had a recent suicide attempt. All are randomised to 'Zero Suicide-Usual Care plus ASSIP' or 'Zero Suicide-Usual Care'. Randomisation is stratified by sex and whether the index attempt is a first suicide attempt or not. Participants complete assessments at baseline, 6 weeks, and 3, 6, 12 and, 18 months. The primary outcome is the time from randomisation to the first suicide reattempt. Prior to the RCT, a 23-person open trial took place, in which 13 participants received 'Zero Suicide-Usual Care plus ASSIP' and 14 completed the first follow-up time point.Ethics and disseminationThis study is overseen by the University of Rochester, with single Institutional Review Board (#3353) reliance agreements from Nathan Kline Institute (#1561697) and SUNY Upstate Medical University (#1647538). It has an established Data and Safety Monitoring Board. Results will be published in peer-reviewed academic journals, presented at scientific conferences, and communicated to referral organisations. Clinics considering ASSIP may use a stakeholder report generated by this study, including incremental cost-effectiveness data from the provider point of view.Trial registration numberNCT03894462.
| S-EPMC9990685 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundHow does genetic liability to suicide attempt (SA), suicide death (SD), major depression (MD), bipolar disorder (BD), schizophrenia (SZ), alcohol use disorder (AUD), and drug use disorder (DUD) impact on risk for SA and SD?MethodsIn the Swedish general population born 1932-1995 and followed through 2017 (n = 7 661 519), we calculate family genetic risk scores (FGRS) for SA, SD, MD, BD, SZ, AUD, and DUD. Registration for SA and SD was assessed from Swedish national registers.ResultsIn univariate and multivariate models predicting SA, FGRS were highest for SA, AUD, DUD, and MD. In univariate models predicting SD, the strongest FGRS were AUD, DUD, SA, and SD. In multivariate models, the FGRS for SA and AUD were higher in predicting SA while the FGRS for SD, BD, and SZ were higher in predicting SD. Higher FGRS for all disorders significantly predicted both younger age at first SA and frequency of attempts. For SD, higher FGRS for MD, AUD, and SD predicted later age at SD. Mediation of FGRS effects on SA and SD was more pronounced for SD than SA, strongest for AUD, DUD, and SZ FGRS and weakest for MD.ConclusionsFGRS for both SA and SD and for our five psychiatric disorders impact on risk for SA and SD in a complex manner. While some of the impact of genetic risk factors for psychiatric disorders on risk for SA and SD is mediated through developing the disorders, these risks also predispose directly to suicidal behaviors.
| S-EPMC10916711 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Blunted neurohormonal responses to serotonergic agents are found in major depression and suicidal behavior, but there have been no prospective studies of their relationship to later suicide attempt. In this study, healthy volunteers and depressed subjects were administered a fenfluramine (FEN) and placebo challenge test at baseline and then followed for 2 years. Seven subjects made suicide attempts within the follow-up period. Healthy volunteers, depressed non-attempters, depressed past suicide attempters, and depressed future attempters were compared on plasma prolactin and cortisol responses, as well as on mood (Profile of Mood States; POMS) and behavioral measures that were assessed at baseline and at the end of each challenge testing day. Both past and future attempters had lower total prolactin output (area under the curve) in response to FEN relative to non-patients. Future attempters had lower cortisol response relative to all other groups. All subject groups reported a decrease in POMS Fatigue subscale score and increase in finger tapping rate after receiving FEN. Depressed subjects reported a significant decline in POMS Total, Depression, and Tension/Anxiety scores, but future attempters' did not, showing a slight mean increase. Lower cortisol response correlated with greater suicidal ideation 3 months and 1 year post-study. Logistic regression revealed that blunting of cortisol response and worsening of mood after FEN, and younger age could be used to predict later suicide attempt in the majority of cases (4/7). Results suggest that blunted cortisol and unfavorable acute mood response to serotonergic challenge, in the context of the general activating effects of these drugs, may be a risk factor for later suicide attempt.
| S-EPMC3055397 | biostudies-other
Project description:Suicide accounts for nearly 800,000 deaths per year worldwide with rates of both deaths and attempts rising. Family studies have estimated substantial heritability of suicidal behavior; however, collecting the sample sizes necessary for successful genetic studies has remained a challenge. We utilized two different approaches in independent datasets to characterize the contribution of common genetic variation to suicide attempt. The first is a patient reported suicide attempt phenotype asked as part of an online mental health survey taken by a subset of participants (n = 157,366) in the UK Biobank. After quality control, we leveraged a genotyped set of unrelated, white British ancestry participants including 2433 cases and 334,766 controls that included those that did not participate in the survey or were not explicitly asked about attempting suicide. The second leveraged electronic health record (EHR) data from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC, 2.8 million patients, 3250 cases) and machine learning to derive probabilities of attempting suicide in 24,546 genotyped patients. We identified significant and comparable heritability estimates of suicide attempt from both the patient reported phenotype in the UK Biobank (h2SNP = 0.035, p = 7.12 × 10-4) and the clinically predicted phenotype from VUMC (h2SNP = 0.046, p = 1.51 × 10-2). A significant genetic overlap was demonstrated between the two measures of suicide attempt in these independent samples through polygenic risk score analysis (t = 4.02, p = 5.75 × 10-5) and genetic correlation (rg = 1.073, SE = 0.36, p = 0.003). Finally, we show significant but incomplete genetic correlation of suicide attempt with insomnia (rg = 0.34-0.81) as well as several psychiatric disorders (rg = 0.26-0.79). This work demonstrates the contribution of common genetic variation to suicide attempt. It points to a genetic underpinning to clinically predicted risk of attempting suicide that is similar to the genetic profile from a patient reported outcome. Lastly, it presents an approach for using EHR data and clinical prediction to generate quantitative measures from binary phenotypes that can improve power for genetic studies.
| S-EPMC6609505 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Suicide has been associated with smoking/tobacco use but its association of and change in smoking/tobacco use status with suicide attempt (SA) is not well established.We investigated whether persistent, former tobacco use, initiation, quitting tobacco use, relapse to tobacco use, and DSM-IV nicotine dependence predict independently SA using Wave 1 and 2 data of the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions. Data from 34,653 US adults interviewed at Wave 1 (2001-02) and Wave 2 (2004-05) were analyzed. The main outcome measure was SA between Wave 1 and Wave 2 as reported at Wave 2.Among the 1,673 respondents reporting lifetime SA at Wave 2, 328 individuals reported SA between Wave 1 and Wave 2. Current and former tobacco use at Wave 1 predicted Wave 2 SA independently of socio-demographic characteristics, psychiatric history, and prior SA (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 1.49; 95% CI: 1.13-1.95, AOR: 1.31; 95% CI:1.01-1.69, respectively versus never tobacco users). The strongest association with SA was observed among former tobacco users who relapsed after Wave 1 (AOR: 4.66; 95% CI: 3.49-6.24) and among tobacco use initiators after Wave 1 (AOR: 3.16; 95% CI: 2.23-4.49). Persistent tobacco use (current tobacco use at both Wave 1 and Wave 2) also had an increased risk of SA (AOR: 1.89; 95% CI: 1.47-2.42). However, former tobacco users in both Waves 1 and 2 did not show a significantly elevated risk for SA in Wave 2 (AOR:1.09, 95% CI: 0.78-1.52) suggesting that the risk resided mainly in Wave 1 former tobacco users who relapsed to tobacco use by Wave 2. DSM-IV nicotine dependence did not predict SA at Wave 2.In a representative sample of US adults, relapse, tobacco use initiation, and persistent tobacco use, which are amenable to intervention, were associated with risk of SA.
| S-EPMC4388646 | biostudies-other
Project description:BackgroundDespite a reported high rate of mental disorders in refugees, scientific knowledge on their risk of suicide attempt and suicide is scarce. We aimed to investigate (1) the risk of suicide attempt and suicide in refugees in Sweden, according to their country of birth, compared with Swedish-born individuals and (2) to what extent time period effects, socio-demographics, labour market marginalisation (LMM) and morbidity explain these associations.MethodsThree cohorts comprising the entire population of Sweden, 16-64 years at 31 December 1999, 2004 and 2009 (around 5 million each, of which 3.3-5.0% refugees), were followed for 4 years each through register linkage. Additionally, the 2004 cohort was followed for 9 years, to allow analyses by refugees' country of birth. Crude and multivariate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed. The multivariate models were adjusted for socio-demographic, LMM and morbidity factors.ResultsIn multivariate analyses, HRs regarding suicide attempt and suicide in refugees, compared with Swedish-born, ranged from 0.38-1.25 and 0.16-1.20 according to country of birth, respectively. Results were either non-significant or showed lower risks for refugees. Exceptions were refugees from Iran (HR 1.25; 95% CI 1.14-1.41) for suicide attempt. The risk for suicide attempt in refugees compared with the Swedish-born diminished slightly across time periods.ConclusionsRefugees seem to be protected from suicide attempt and suicide relative to Swedish-born, which calls for more studies to disentangle underlying risk and protective factors.
| S-EPMC7893509 | biostudies-literature