What part can nurses play in the prevention of suicide?

摘要

In July 2011 The Department of Health (DH) published its draft policy strategy aimed at reducing the number of suicides entitled Consultation on Preventing Suicide in England (DH, 2011a). What is the scale of the problem? There are a myriad of costs and causes associated with suicide, some of the main ones are listed below: One person commits suicide every 2 hours in England resulting in 4400 annual deaths (DH, 2011a); The economic costs are projected at pongd1.7 million for every person who takes their own life (DH, 2011a); Suicide has devastating effects on the people who surround the victim, friends, colleagues and family members whom they leave behind; Stressful life events such as the loss of a job and debt contributes to increased potential for suicide. This has been noted in previous periods of high unemployment. Additionally, imprisonment, social isolation, bereavement and family breakdown are all known to contribute to suicide risk (DH, 2011a); Males are three times more likely to commit suicide than females, and people in their forties are the most vulnerable, especially if compounded by mental illness, physical disability, chronic pain, or drug or alcohol misuse (DH, 2011a)