Support Emotional Adjustment

Suicide Prevention

Overview of Suicide

If you or a loved one are even casually thinking about suicide, this is a medical emergency! Call your local emergency number (911 in the U.S.) or go to your local Emergency Room right away.

You probably feel like you do not want to call for help, or that you do not feel up to it. But muster all the strength you have left and call for help anyway! You do not need to suffer in silence anymore! Call for help NOW and keep calling until you find the help you need. I promise you that some day, you'll be very glad you called for help!

Suicide Risk Factors

Suicidal risks with psoriasis and atopic dermatitis: Systematic review and meta-analysis. The study findings support emerging evidence of increased risk of suicidal ideation and behavior with psoriasis. PubMed, J Psychosom Res, 2021 Feb;141:110347. (Also see Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis)

Depression Has Skyrocketed During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Study Says. It's well-documented that natural disasters, wars and other mass traumas can lead to significant increases in population-wide psychological distress. Time Healthland, 09/04/2020. (Also see Depression)

Drug overdose deaths drop in U.S. as other deaths of despair rise, report finds. Combined deaths from alcohol, drugs and suicide in the U.S. plateaued in 2018 for the first time in two decades, according to a report. NBC Health News, 05/21/2020.

Depression and suicidality in psoriasis and clinical studies of brodalumab: a narrative review. Clinicians are urged to evaluate patients with psoriasis for psychiatric risk factors regardless of their therapy. PubMed, Cutis, 2019 Dec;104(6):361-365. (Also see Depression and Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis)

How does temperature affect mental health? According to a recent study, there is an association between hotter temperatures and an increase both in the number of hospital visits for mental health reasons and in suicide rates. Medical News Today, 11/11/2019.

Construction workers lead in U.S. suicide rates, CDC finds. Male construction workers have the highest rate of suicide in the U.S., while teachers and librarians have the lowest, according to new federal data. NBC Health News, 11/15/2018.

Restless legs syndrome triples the risk of suicidal thoughts, study finds. People with restless legs syndrome have a greater risk of suicidal thoughts, a study suggests. Mail Online, 10/16/2018. (Also see Sleep Disorders)

Outpatient Engagement Lowers Predicted Risk of Suicide Attempts in Fibromyalgia (FM). This is the first study to successfully apply machine learning to reliably detect suicidality in FM, identifying novel risk factors for suicidality and highlighting outpatient engagement as a protective factor against suicide. PubMed, Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken), 09/07/2018. (Also see Fibromyalgia)

Suicide Risk, Affective and Anxiety Disorders in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis. Less than 50% of SSc patients with severe depression received adapted psychiatric treatment. The high prevalence of major depression and anxiety disorders in SSc patients can no longer be ignored and systematic screening and psychiatric treatment interventions are needed. (Article Out of Print) Thierry Baubet. 1689/514. ACR. (Also see Depression)

Suicide Warning Signs

Suicide Risk Factors and Warning Signs. Call 1-800-273-TALK if you or someone you know exhibits any of the following signs:

• Threatening to hurt or kill oneself or talking about wanting to hurt or kill oneself
• Looking for ways to kill oneself by seeking access to firearms, pills, or other means
• Talking or writing about death, dying, or suicide when these actions are out of the ordinary for the person
• Feeling hopeless
• Feeling rage or uncontrolled anger or seeking revenge
• Acting reckless or engaging in risky activities - seemingly without thinking
• Feeling trapped-like there's no way out
• Increasing alcohol or drug use
• Withdrawing from friends, family, and society
• Feeling anxious, agitated, or unable to sleep or sleeping all the time
• Experiencing dramatic mood changes
• Seeing no reason for living or having no sense of purpose in life

U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Suicide: Offering help and support when someone is suicidal. Not everyone who thinks or talks about suicide actually attempts it. But it's not true that people who talk about suicide won't really try it. That's why it's important to take them seriously, especially if they have depression or another mental disorder or are intoxicated or behaving impulsively. Mayo Clinic.

Suicide Prevention Resources

Suicide Hotlines (Worldwide Phone Numbers and Email Crisis Support). Call for comfort, call to survive. do not wait! Call someone now. This web site has suicide hotline and email support numbers for the U.S. and worldwide. Suicide.org.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. If you need help, please dial 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

New Research Is Focusing on Treating Teens' Suicidal Thoughts With Support of Friends, Family. Past research has shown that people with more connections, stronger social networks, and more social support will be better off in terms of mental health. Time Healthland, 06/10/2019.

Suicide Treatments

How Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) May Help Suicidal People. In C.B.T., clear steps are intended to help build hope, solve problems and make a plan to avoid relapses. New York Times, 06/13/2018.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy + Safety Planning for Suicidal Behavior: A Treatment Development Study. Treatments delivered in a group setting showed promise in increasing feelings of connectedness and was deemed safe. Depression, hopelessness and suicidal thinking decreased. Participants gave positive feedback on both the mindfulness training component and the safety planning. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Personal Stories

Charmaine C: Lichen Sclerosus and Scleroderma Soon multiple spots developed across my abdomen, with a few stray ones on my forearms and more on the left leg…

Judy R. Thompson Devlin: Diffuse Scleroderma with CREST He said 1 in 200 people get a disease in their lifetime, and that scleroderma was like having 20-30 diseases at once…

Robin H: End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)/Transplant Recipient It has been almost two years now since my kidney transplant. I am doing better than ever…

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