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Causes, treatment and prevention of suicide

This section will cover all aspects of a wide range of suicidality, considering studies of suicidal behaviour, its causes and effects but also its prevention and intervention approaches. Research which investigates psychological and sociological as well as neurobiological, genetic and pharmacological aspects of suicidal behaviour are also of great interest. The section also incorporates topics such as assessment and risk-management approaches, ethical issues in intervention research, cross-cultural risk factors for suicide as well as the needs of those bereaved by suicide.

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  1. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) figures in 2015, the number of people attempting suicide worldwide per year exceeds 800,000 individuals. The majority of completed suicides (78%) occur in low- ...

    Authors: Maha Zakhour, Chadia Haddad, Hala Sacre, Kassandra Fares, Marwan Akel, Sahar Obeid, Pascale Salameh and Souheil Hallit

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2021 21:100

    Content type: Research article

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  2. Previous studies have revealed that single physical chronic condition was associated with suicidal ideation/plans, but few studies have examined the relationship between multimorbidity and suicidal ideation/pl...

    Authors: Zhengyue Jing, Jie Li, Pei Pei Fu, Yi Wang, Yemin Yuan, Dan Zhao, Wenting Hao, Caiting Yu and Chengchao Zhou

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2021 21:78

    Content type: Research article

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  3. Suicide and risk management protocols in mental health research aim to ensure patient safety, provide vital information on how to assess suicidal ideation, manage risk, and respond to unexpected and expected s...

    Authors: Katye Stevens, Vivetha Thambinathan, Elisa Hollenberg, Fiona Inglis, Andrew Johnson, Andrea Levinson, Soha Salman, Leah Cardinale, Brian Lo, Jenny Shi, David Wiljer, Daphne J. Korczak and Kristin Cleverley

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2021 21:13

    Content type: Research article

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  5. Whereas suicide remains in the top 12 leading causes of death among young people aged 10–24 in sub-Saharan Africa, little is known about suicidal behaviours among adolescents in Liberia. We aimed to estimate t...

    Authors: Emmanuel Nii-Boye Quarshie, Henry K. Onyeaka and Kwaku Oppong Asante

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:572

    Content type: Research article

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  6. Despite increasing awareness of high rates of physical illness and poor lifestyle behaviours among patients with a history of repeated deliberate self-harm (DSH), there is little research on specific lifestyle...

    Authors: Elizabeth Berg, Kay Wilhelm and Tonelle Handley

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:560

    Content type: Research article

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  7. Epidemiological studies have shown increased risk of suicide in cancer patients compared with the general population. The present study aimed to examine the association between physical symptoms and suicidal i...

    Authors: Qingyi Xu, Shuhua Jia, Maiko Fukasawa, Lin Lin, Jun Na, Zhen Mu, Bo Li, Ningning Li, Tong Zhao, Zaishuang Ju, Meng He, Lianzheng Yu, Norito Kawakami, Yuejin Li and Chao Jiang

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:544

    Content type: Research article

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  8. The glutamatergic modulator ketamine has been shown to result in rapid reductions in both suicidal ideation (SI) and depressive symptoms in clinical trials. There is a practical need for identification of pre-...

    Authors: Denise Beaudequin, Adem T. Can, Megan Dutton, Monique Jones, Cyrana Gallay, Paul Schwenn, Cian Yang, Grace Forsyth, Gabrielle Simcock, Daniel F. Hermens and Jim Lagopoulos

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:519

    Content type: Research article

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  9. Previous research has found a relationship between problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) and suicidality. However, few studies have examined the interaction effects between low physical activity (PA) and PMPU on...

    Authors: Yang Xie, Ming Zhu, Xiaoyan Wu, Shuman Tao, Yajuan Yang, Tingting Li, Liwei Zou, Honglv Xu and Fangbiao Tao

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:517

    Content type: Research article

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  10. Childhood trauma and over-general autobiographical memory (OGM) are crucial risk factors of suicide. This study aimed to investigate whether suicidal ideation was predicted by one’s childhood trauma and OGM an...

    Authors: Wen Jiang, Guangtao Hu, Jingxuan Zhang, Ken Chen, Dongni Fan and Zhengzhi Feng

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:501

    Content type: Research article

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  11. Treatment recommendations suggest that suicidal ideation will decrease following successful psychotherapy for depression. However, findings from the empirical research are equivocal in this regard. It is possi...

    Authors: Renee A. Schneider, Shih Yin Chen, Anita Lungu and Joseph R. Grasso

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:497

    Content type: Research article

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  12. The high place phenomenon, that is, a sudden urge to jump when in a high place, is an experience known to many people, that has rarely been studied. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of the high...

    Authors: Tobias Teismann, Julia Brailovskaia, Svenja Schaumburg and André Wannemüller

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:478

    Content type: Research article

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  13. Individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) have a high suicide risk. Some evidence suggests that uric acid (UA) may be involved in the pathophysiology of MDD. The purpose of this study was to evaluate wh...

    Authors: Jing-Xu Chen, Jun-Hui Feng, Li-Gang Zhang, Yan Liu, Fu-De Yang, Shao-Li Wang, Yun-Long Tan and Yun-Ai Su

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:477

    Content type: Research article

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  14. Suicide is a significant public health concern in China and there is a need for evidence-based suicide prevention programs to assist people in the community who may be in a position to support those in their s...

    Authors: Shurong Lu, Wenjing Li, Brian Oldenburg, Yan Wang, Anthony F. Jorm, Yanling He and Nicola J. Reavley

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:454

    Content type: Research article

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  15. The occurrence and degree of suicidal ideation during the past month in adolescents should be regarded seriously. Several studies have noted that humor expression style and depressive emotion may influence ado...

    Authors: Chun-Yang Lee, Yi-Chen Chiang, An Li, Xian Li, Yao-Ting Wu, Yu-Jung Lin, Yuchen Zhao and Xiaoke Zhang

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:421

    Content type: Research article

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  16. The German Capability for Suicide Questionnaire (GCSQ) was developed to measure fearlessness of death and pain tolerance – two constructs central to the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide. Initial scale developme...

    Authors: Jan C. Cwik, Thomas Forkmann, Heide Glaesmer, Laura Paashaus, Antje Schönfelder, Dajana Rath, Sarah Prinz, Georg Juckel and Tobias Teismann

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:412

    Content type: Research article

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  17. During the perinatal period, suicides are more likely to occur in those with depression and who are not receiving active treatment at the time of death. Suicide is a common outcome in people with suicide ideat...

    Authors: Yoshiyuki Tachibana, Noriaki Koizumi, Masashi Mikami, Kana Shikada, Sayaka Yamashita, Mieko Shimizu, Kazuyo Machida and Hiroto Ito

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:389

    Content type: Research article

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  18. Major depressive disorder is an ordinary mental disorder, and suicide is considered to be a major concern among patients with MDD. Previous studies focused on the relationship between suicide attempts and meta...

    Authors: Ke Zhao, Siyao Zhou, Xiang Shi, Jianjun Chen, Yaoyao Zhang, Kaili Fan, Xiangyang Zhang, Wei Wang and Wei Tang

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:387

    Content type: Research article

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  19. The Ecuadorian earthquake in April 16th was the second strongest and deadliest in 2016 worldwide, with approximately one million people affected. In this paper, we analyzed the psychological impact and the rel...

    Authors: Rebekka M. F. Gerstner, Fernando Lara-Lara, Eduardo Vasconez, Ginés Viscor, Juan D. Jarrin and Esteban Ortiz-Prado

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:347

    Content type: Research article

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  20. Suicide is a major and complex public health problem. In Switzerland, suicide accounts for about 1000 deaths yearly and is the fourth leading cause of mortality. The first nationwide Swiss study of suicides id...

    Authors: M. Schmid, L. Michaud, N. Bovio and I. Guseva Canu

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:324

    Content type: Research article

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  21. Safe clinical practice for patients hospitalised in mental health care during a suicidal crisis is situated within a dynamic, non-linear and uncertain context. Under such complex conditions, the adaptive capac...

    Authors: Siv Hilde Berg, Kristine Rørtveit, Fredrik A. Walby and Karina Aase

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:316

    Content type: Research article

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  22. Most suicide attempters suffer from psychiatric disorders, which are often comorbid with personality disorders. The effects of intervention on patients who have attempted suicide with comorbid Axis I and II di...

    Authors: Kazunobu Norimoto, Katsumi Ikeshita, Toshifumi Kishimoto, Kazuo Okuchi, Naohiro Yonemoto, Tatsuya Sugimoto, Fuminori Chida, Shigero Shimoda, Yoshio Hirayasu and Chiaki Kawanishi

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:311

    Content type: Research article

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  23. In Ghana, rates of self-harm in young people are as high as they are in high income countries. Self-reported interpersonal, familial and societal stressors form the most important background, and self-harm is ...

    Authors: Emmanuel N-B. Quarshie, Mitch G. Waterman and Allan O. House

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:310

    Content type: Research article

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  24. Suicide is a leading cause of death globally. Suicide deaths are elevated in those experiencing severe mental health problems, including schizophrenia. Psychological talking therapies are a potentially effecti...

    Authors: Patricia A. Gooding, Daniel Pratt, Yvonne Awenat, Richard Drake, Rachel Elliott, Richard Emsley, Charlotte Huggett, Steven Jones, Navneet Kapur, Fiona Lobban, Sarah Peters and Gillian Haddock

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:306

    Content type: Study protocol

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  25. Suicidal ideation is a significant public health concern worldwide. Although suicides might be preventable through the provision of adequate treatment, mental health consultation is still mostly underutilized....

    Authors: Hin Moi Youn, Soo Hyun Kang, Sung-In Jang and Eun-Cheol Park

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:305

    Content type: Research article

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  26. In addition to the unstable political situation, Lebanon had experienced a cycle of wars, local armed conflicts, terrorist attacks, and crises (lack of clean water, recurrent power failure, and waste mismanage...

    Authors: Melissa Chahine, Pascale Salameh, Chadia Haddad, Hala Sacre, Michel Soufia, Marwan Akel, Sahar Obeid, Rabih Hallit and Souheil Hallit

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:304

    Content type: Research article

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  27. Debunking suicide myths, such as ‘asking someone about suicide could make them start thinking about it’ is a common strategy in suicide prevention education. However, there has been little research investigati...

    Authors: Angela Nicholas, Thomas Niederkrotenthaler, Nicola Reavley, Jane Pirkis, Anthony Jorm and Matthew J. Spittal

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:303

    Content type: Research article

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  29. Suicidal behavior is a prevalent psychiatric emergency in HIV-infected adults. Detection of suicidal ideation is important in planning early psychiatric intervention and optimizing HIV/AIDS management. Charact...

    Authors: Youdiil Ophinni, Adrian, Kristiana Siste, Martina Wiwie, Gina Anindyajati, Enjeline Hanafi, Reza Damayanti and Yoshitake Hayashi

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:255

    Content type: Research article

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    The Correction to this article has been published in BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:510

  30. Self-harm, whether attributed to suicidal or non-suicidal motives, is associated with several poor outcomes in young people, including eventual suicide. Much of our understanding of self-harm in young people i...

    Authors: Emmanuel N-B Quarshie, Mitch G. Waterman and Allan O. House

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:234

    Content type: Research article

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  31. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is proposed to predict behavioral intention. We conducted this study aimed to investigate the effects of Suicidal Ideation (SI) and constructs of TPB on suicidal intention.

    Authors: Forouzan Rezapur-Shahkolai, Mehdi Khezeli, Seyyed-Mohammad-Mahdi Hazavehei, Saeed Ariapooran, Ali Reza Soltanian and Alireza Ahmadi

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:217

    Content type: Research article

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  32. Despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of mental health services are delivered in outpatient settings, the effect of changes in non-hospital-based mental health care on increased suicide rates is larg...

    Authors: Peiyin Hung, Susan H Busch, Yi-Wen Shih, Alecia J McGregor and Shiyi Wang

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:188

    Content type: Research article

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  33. The Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) is a therapeutic framework that has been shown to reduce suicidal ideation and overall symptom distress. CAMS has not been previously evaluated...

    Authors: Miriam Santel, Thomas Beblo, Frank Neuner, Michaela Berg, Kristina Hennig-Fast, David A. Jobes and Martin Driessen

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:183

    Content type: Study protocol

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  34. Anxiety is one of the most common psychiatric disorder and imposes a great burden on both the individual and the society. Previous studies indicate a high comorbidity of anxiety disorders and Attention Deficit...

    Authors: Yanmei Shen, Yaru Zhang, Bella Siu Man Chan, Fanchao Meng, Tingyu Yang, Xuerong Luo and Chunxiang Huang

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:180

    Content type: Research article

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  35. With increasing levels of suicide and self-harm behaviour in the criminal justice system professionals would benefit from a tool that can identify individuals who may be at risk of self-harm and/or suicidal be...

    Authors: Amanda E. Perry and Mike Horton

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:164

    Content type: Research article

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  36. This study aimed to determine conditional dependence relationships of variables that contribute to psychological vulnerability associated with suicide risk. A Bayesian network (BN) was developed and applied to...

    Authors: Jorge Barros, Susana Morales, Arnol García, Orietta Echávarri, Ronit Fischman, Marta Szmulewicz, Claudia Moya, Catalina Núñez and Alemka Tomicic

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:138

    Content type: Research article

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  37. Many persons with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are treated in long-term specialised care. In this population, suicidal behaviour troubles patients, families, and specialists in the field because it is diffic...

    Authors: Anne Huntjens, L. M. C. Wies van den Bosch, Bram Sizoo, Ad Kerkhof, Marcus J. H. Huibers and Mark van der Gaag

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:127

    Content type: Study protocol

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  39. A substantial increase in rates of suicide worldwide, especially among late adolescents and young adults, has been observed. It is important to identify specific risk and protective factors for suicide-related...

    Authors: Bob Lew, Ksenia Chistopolskaya, Augustine Osman, Jenny Mei Yiu Huen, Mansor Abu Talib and Angel Nga Man Leung

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:73

    Content type: Research article

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  40. The Delphi technique is a proven and reliable method to create common definitions and to achieve convergence of opinion. This study aimed to prioritize suicide prevention guideline recommendations and to devel...

    Authors: Kim Setkowski, Anton J. L. M. van Balkom, Dave A. Dongelmans and Renske Gilissen

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:55

    Content type: Research article

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  41. Brief Contact Interventions (BCIs) after a suicide attempt (SA) are an important element of prevention against SA and suicide. They are easier to generalize to an entire population than other forms of interven...

    Authors: Larissa Fossi Djembi, Guillaume Vaiva, Christophe Debien, Stéphane Duhem, Anne-Laure Demarty, Yves-Akoli Koudou and Antoine Messiah

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:26

    Content type: Research article

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  43. Research is required to identify those psychiatric interventions with a protective effect against suicide. The overarching aim of the current study was to examine whether completed suicide in psychiatric patie...

    Authors: Fredrik Holländare, Maria Tillfors, Axel Nordenskjöld and Tabita Sellin

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2020 20:13

    Content type: Research article

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  44. It is generally known that firefighters are at increased risk of suicide. However, the prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation in firefighters have not been thoroughly described to date. The aim of this...

    Authors: Heyeon Park, Johanna Inhyang Kim, Beomjun Min, Sohee Oh and Jeong-Hyun Kim

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2019 19:428

    Content type: Research article

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  45. Bullying and suicidal behaviors are a silent public health problem among adolescents. Little is known about the link between bullying and suicidal behaviors in low-income countries such as Tanzania. In the cur...

    Authors: Festo K. Shayo and Paul S. Lawala

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2019 19:400

    Content type: Research article

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  46. In the Netherlands, suicide rates showed a sharp incline and this pertains particularly to the province of Noord-Brabant, one of the southern provinces in the Netherlands. This calls for a regional suicide pre...

    Authors: Emma Hofstra, Iman Elfeddali, Margot Metz, Marjan Bakker, Jacobus J. de Jong, Chijs van Nieuwenhuizen and Christina M. van der Feltz-Cornelis

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2019 19:364

    Content type: Study protocol

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  47. Losing an only child is a particularly traumatic and heartbreaking event for parents, which can trigger a lot of emotional responses, including PTSD and suicidal ideation (SI). The objectives of this study wer...

    Authors: Qiong Wang, Longfei Ren, Wenhao Wang, Weihua Xu and Yang Wang

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2019 19:352

    Content type: Research article

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  48. Many suicide attempters brought to our emergency department (ED) have been found to have alcohol problems, and this should be taken serious consideration because alcohol use disorder is a risk factor for suici...

    Authors: Jinhee Lee, Seongho Min, Joung-Sook Ahn, Hyun Kim, Yong-Sung Cha, Eugene Oh, Jin Sil Moon and Min-Hyuk Kim

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2019 19:350

    Content type: Research article

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  49. Suicide and non-fatal self-harm represent key patient safety events in mental healthcare services. However, additional important learning can also be derived by highlighting examples of optimal practice that h...

    Authors: Donna L. Littlewood, Leah Quinlivan, Jane Graney, Louis Appleby, Pauline Turnbull, Roger T. Webb and Navneet Kapur

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2019 19:346

    Content type: Research article

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  50. Crisis hotlines play a key role in suicide prevention worldwide following different approaches regarding risk assessment and management of suicidality. This is to our knowledge the first study investigating de...

    Authors: Ines Heinz, Roland Mergl, Ulrich Hegerl, Christine Rummel-Kluge and Elisabeth Kohls

    Citation: BMC Psychiatry 2019 19:342

    Content type: Research article

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