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christian counseling today
Vol. 21 no. 2
a
As mental health professionals, suicide is one
of the most critical issues we face in the course
of our careers. It marks a point at which the
psychological disorders people struggle with
become potentially terminal. Despite advances
in the treatment of depression, anxiety and other
mental health problems, the suicide rate in our
country continues to rise. In 2013 (the most
recent year for which data is currently available),
one person in the U.S. died by suicide every 13
minutes, making it the 10th leading cause of
death. While rates dropped between 1986 and
2000, there has been a steady increase annually
since 2000.
1
It is important for all who serve in the
helping professions to be aware of those most
at risk, as well as have a good general under-
standing of why people die from self-harm.
For practicing clinicians, it is essential to have
comprehensive training in suicide assess-
ment, prevention and intervention. This article
outlines some basic information for caregivers
and provides direction on where mental health
professionals can receive additional training to
acquire the skills necessary in becoming compe-
tent in assessment and intervention.
Who and How?
The first step in building suicide awareness is
to understand those who are most at risk. It is
estimated there are one million attempts annu-
ally and approximately 40,000 actual deaths,
although the estimate of attempts is probably
low as many are never reported. While women
are three times more likely to attempt suicide
than men, males are four times more likely to
actually complete the act.
2
The reason for the
higher completed suicide rate among men is
Jenn i fer C i sne y Ellers and Ke v i n L . Ellers
STOP
uicide Prevention
& Intervention