Health Professionals
More people commit suicide each year than die in all the world’s combined conflicts. The assistance of counselling professionals in the prevention of suicide, on a world wide scale, is critically and clearly needed.
Suicide results from a complex interaction of biological, genetic, psychological, sociological, and environmental factors. Improved community detection, referral, and management of suicidal behavior are important steps in suicide prevention. The critical challenge of such prevention is to identify people who are at risk and vulnerable; to understand the cicumstances that influence their self destructive behavior; and to effectively structure interventions. Consequently, counsellors need to develop community based initiatives for preventing as well as managing suicidal behavior.
Resources & Guides for Health Professionals
One of the worst things a physician has to face is the suicide of a patient. The common reactions experienced by physicians who have gone through such an event are disbelief, loss of confidence, anger and shame. The suicide of a patient can trigger feelings of professional inadequacy, doubts about one’s competence and fear for one’s reputation.
In addition, physicians confront the enormous difficulty of dealing with the family and friends of the deceased. These resources are intended primarily for general physicians. Their objective is to outline the main disorders and other factors associated with suicide, and to provide information on the identification and management of suicidal patients.
By World Health Organization
People at risk of suicide are seen in a wide variety of settings. Within the social and health services community, caregivers are likely to come into contact with suicidal clients frequently. This is true whether or not the specific mandate of the organization is the care of those at risk of suicide. In fact, since suicidal feelings are common among many depressed or troubled clients, it is undesirable to have specific services that deal with just suicide. Suicidal feelings are outward manifestations of other problems like abuse, low self-esteem, family violence, mental illness, substance abuse and tragic loss.
The goal of this resource guide is to increase education and awareness on the topic of suicide and encourage organizations to implement suicide prevention protocols / guidelines that would assist employees to respond to at risk individuals. With increased knowledge, it is our hope that the incidence of suicide and suicide attempt in Canada will be reduced.
By: Suicide Prevention Coalition Champlain East