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from the 1-(800)-273-8255-National-Suicide-Prevention-Lifeline dept.
Experts and laymen have long assumed that people who died by suicide will ultimately do it even if temporarily deterred. Now Celia Watson Seupel reports at the NYT that a growing body of evidence challenges this view with many experts calling for a reconsideration of suicide-prevention strategies stressing “means restriction.” Instead of treating individual risk, means restriction entails modifying the environment by removing the means by which people usually die by suicide. The world cannot be made suicide-proof, of course. But, these researchers argue, if the walkway over a bridge is fenced off, a struggling college freshman cannot throw herself over the side. If parents leave guns in a locked safe, a teenage son cannot shoot himself if he suddenly decides life is hopeless.
Reducing the availability of highly lethal and commonly used suicide methods has been associated with declines in suicide rates of as much as 30%–50% in other countries (PDF). According to Cathy Barber, people trying to die by suicide tend to choose not the most effective method, but the one most at hand. Some methods have a case fatality rate as low as 1 or 2 percent,” says Barber. “With a gun, it’s closer to 85 or 90 percent. So it makes a difference what you’re reaching for in these low-planned or unplanned suicide attempts.” Ken Baldwin, who jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge in 1985 and lived, told reporters that he knew as soon as he had jumped that he had made a terrible mistake. "From the instant I saw my hand leave the railing, I knew I wanted to live. I was terrified out of my skull." Baldwin was lucky to survive the 220 foot plunge into frigid waters. Ms. Barber tells another story: On a friend’s very first day as an emergency room physician, a patient was wheeled in, a young man who had shot himself in a suicide attempt. “He was begging the doctors to save him,” she says. But they could not.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by fishybell on Thursday March 12 2015, @04:05AM
While I agree that bubble-wrapping the world is a poor answer, I think things like what exists at the golden gate bridge are a good answer: Every few dozen yards there is a phone hooked up to a suicide prevention hotline. [tripadvisor.com] They noticed a high incidence of suicides in the area, so they decided to do something about it. I am 100% in favor of this approach: if there is a noticed problem, do something about it. If that means fencing a bridge, fine. If that means taking away someones gun, fine. Does that mean fencing every bridge or locking up every gun? No.
For most people suicidal thoughts are temporary. At the time, they feel all-consuming and never-ending, but usually pass after an amount of time. I'm all in favor of making suicide harder. I knew only one person who successfully committed suicide, but I still know several who failed and saw the error in their ways or gave up after it was too hard. Painting all situations as an "easy out" is doing a significant disservice to people who are having very real struggles. Congratulations, you're not one of them, but compassion is easy: you should try it some day.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Thursday March 12 2015, @05:41AM
Does that mean fencing every bridge or locking up every gun? No.
Which bridges then? And which guns?
And who decides? The same psychologists and psychiatrists with their mind numbing drugs and enough SDM-IV codes to declare anyone a suicide risk?
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by dyingtolive on Friday March 13 2015, @12:47AM
I don't mind the suicide prevention lines. That sounds reasonable. I'm not saying that there's a lot of people out there who would change their minds about it, given the chance. I just think to look at it as an all-or-nothing "suicide should be prevented as much as possible", they should look more closely at the reasons why it's being done to begin with. A gun being owned isn't causing suicide any more than a circular saw is. We just need to stop looking at it as though there's something wrong with a person for wanting to do that. The reality is probably somewhere in the middle.
Don't blame me, I voted for moose wang!