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Spring’s arrival traditionally sends people’s spirits soaring, but some evidence suggests it’s also the time to be alert for a dark phenomenon: a seasonal uptick in suicides.
A 2005 study exploring suicide occurrence in the United States detected a peak in April and May, though the reasons are unclear, according to information provided this month by the Pennsylvania Health News Service Project. Physicians, teachers and others – including you – should be aware of the signs indicating someone might be clinically depressed and in need of help.
It’s critical to connect anyone who expresses a desire to hurt themselves with a professional, such as his or her doctor, an emergency room physician or therapist. Be wary also of behavioral changes such as a sudden and dramatic mood change or increased substance abuse.
Despite prevention efforts and the availability of depression-easing medications and therapies, suicide remains a significant cause of death in the United States. “More people die by suicide each year than by homicide,” according to the National Institute of Mental Health. The annual toll: about 38,000 people.
In 2012, Pennsylvania recorded about 1,613 suicides. Of those, the state Department of Health’s data showed men and women between the ages of 45 and 54 accounted for the largest loss of life: 361 individuals.
Teenagers and young adults are not immune, spurring widespread suicide-prevention efforts in schools. A law approved last year in Pennsylvania, and which will take effect for the 2015-16 academic year, puts schools on notice to provide staff training and have awareness-and-prevention policies. Already, programs such as the Lou Ruspi Jr. Foundation, based in Lackawanna County, take suicide prevention messages directly to school groups. (For information, visit louruspijrfoundation.com.)
Among the suicide risk factors cited by the National Institute of Mental Health: depression or other mental disorders; substance abuse; a prior suicide attempt; a family history of suicide or mental disorder; a history of family violence; having guns in the home; and being in prison.
The American Association of Suicidology, in Washington, D.C., offers “additional warning signs.” They include “withdrawal from friends, family and society,” “uncontrolled anger” and hopelessness.
Not every suicide can be prevented. By watching out for one another, however, we might be able to get timely help for more individuals in crisis, stopping needless tragedies.