Individuals with psychiatric disorders, particularly bipolar disorder, depression, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance abuse are at higher risk of suicide. So, too, are those with anxiety disorders, especially severe anxiety. Veterans and military personnel, members of the LGBTQ community, and white men ages 44-64 and 85 and older are also more impacted by suicide.
A fact sheet from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention shows that 12 million Americans had suicidal thoughts, and about 1.4 million tried to carry out those suicidal ideations. Among those whose death resulted from suicide, men were 3.63 times more likely than women to end their lives. Women, however, attempted suicide 1.66 times more than men. Tragically, in 90 percent of the suicide deaths, the individuals had a diagnosable mental health disorder or condition.
When considering therapies that can relieve suicidal thoughts, it’s important to recognize that there’s no single approach that’s universally effective. Different treatments have different efficacy for different disorders. Someone with treatment-resistant depression who’s experiencing chronic suicidal thoughts may benefit more from certain types of suicidal therapy than someone who’s thought about suicide after losing a loved one or feels hopeless following a lengthy illness or terminal diagnosis.
A suicide-specific form of psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy for suicide prevention (CT-SP) has shown impressive results in reducing suicidal thoughts and repeat suicide attempts, reducing depressive symptoms, and increasing hope. A primary treatment focus is reducing suicide risk factors and increasing coping skills. Central to the therapy is the tenet that the individual will continue to have stressors and problems, but armed with effective coping skills, they’ll no longer be automatically triggered to suicidal behavior.
This form of suicidal therapy includes a strategy for relapse prevention and making use of a hope kit to help prevent subsequent suicidal behavior.