Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for people of all ages worldwide and a global public health concern. Suicide is the second most common cause of death for young people in the United States between the ages of 10 and 24, raising serious concerns about public health. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that over 47,000 people took their own lives in 2019. Also, suicidal thoughts and attempts are far more common than suicide deaths.
What you will learn:
- Immediate warning signs of suicide risk
- Effective communication skills for individuals with suicidal tendencies
- Immediate intervention strategies
- How to appropriately refer individuals at risk
- Legal aspects of suicide prevention
Details
Course length: 45 minutes. CME: 0.75
Languages: American English
Key features: Audio narration, learning activity, and post-assessment.
American Medical Compliance is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing education to physicians. Our Continuing Medical Education (CME) program is committed to enhancing the knowledge, skills, and professional performance of healthcare providers to improve healthcare outcomes. Through high-quality educational activities, we aim to address the identified educational gaps to support the continuous professional development of our medical community. American Medical Compliance designates this activity for a maximum of 0.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits. Physicians should only claim this credit for their complete participation in this activity.
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Risk Factors
The following course helps to educate healthcare providers to notice the various risk factors associated with suicide. Furthermore, risk factors are characteristics that make it more likely that someone will consider, attempt, or die by suicide. They can’t cause or predict a suicide attempt, but they’re important to know. Because of this, some risk factors that healthcare providers should look out for are a history of mental health conditions, alcohol and substance use disorders, or any major life changes like divorce, loss of a job, etc.
Protective Factors
It is less probable for someone to contemplate, attempt, or die by suicide when there are protective factors in place. However, suicide can be prevented by offering people support and encouraging things that protect them from suicidal ideas and actions. Some instances of protective factors include:
- Effective coping and problem-solving skills.
- Support from a partner, family, and friends.
- Feeling connected to others.
The course goes over other factors that may decrease a person’s risk of suicidal thoughts or actions, but it is important to take note of these factors when a patient has identifiable risk factors.
Screening for Suicide Risk
Also, a key element of prevention is early detection. The majority of suicide victims see a doctor a few months before taking their own lives. This is a fantastic chance to identify those who are at risk and provide them with mental health support.
However, suicide risk is not screened for in the majority of healthcare settings. The Joint Commission, which oversees health care programs in hospitals across the US, released a Sentinel Event Alert in February 2016 advising that patients in all medical settings—including emergency rooms, outpatient clinics, and inpatient hospital units—be evaluated for suicidal tendencies.
For more information on how to identify and prevent any suicidal behaviors among your patients, click the button below.
