Nine out of ten people who attempt suicide and survive will not go on to die by suicide at a later date. This has been well-established in the suicidology literature. A literature review summarized 90 studies that have followed over time people who have made suicide attempts that resulted in medical care. Approximately 7% (range: 5-11%) of attempters eventually died by suicide, approximately 23% reattempted nonfatally, and 70% had no further attempts.
Even studies that focused on medically serious attempts–such as people who jumped in front of a train–and studies that followed attempters for many decades found similarly low suicide completion rates. At least one study, published after the 90-study review, found a slightly higher completion rate. This was a 37-year follow-up of self-poisoners in Finland that found an eventual completion rate of 13%.
This relatively good long-term survival rate is consistent with the observation that suicidal crises are often short-lived, even if there may be underylying, more chronic risk factors present that give rise to these crises.
(Score: 2) by mobydisk on Monday July 29 2019, @06:07PM (2 children)
As someone who has jumped off of a cliff and lives to tell the tale, let me assure you that even if you have "rationally" decided to do so, it takes a significant mental effort to force oneself to do it. In my case, I practiced many times both physically at the site and mentally at home - laying in bed late nights repeating it over in my mind, imagining what people would say afterwards. Would I suddenly find myself able to fly? What would I yell in mid-air? It was a cliff where this had happened before, so there was even precedent for it. But when the moment came I had to stand there for quite a while to gather the courage to make the leap. Having done so and looking back, I know of ways to make it easier (running start, holding a heavy weight) but I don't want to give anyone ideas. Basically, this is not something someone "just googles" and does.
Today, I still hold my pilot rating [ushpa.org] but I don't fly any more.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 29 2019, @11:16PM
I used to jump off bridges into water for fun. 10/10 will do again.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 30 2019, @02:34AM
I can't imagine being so angry/hurt/depressed/sad/?/ to try to take ones own life.
I hope things are going well for you now.