MQ-Funded Research Projects into Suicide Prevention
One way we can prevent suicide is by reaching out to people in need. If you think someone is struggling, don’t be afraid to reach out to them and ask if they are ok. Evidence shows that asking people if they are having thoughts of harming themselves, doesn’t make it more likely that they will do. You can find resources and further advice in the links at the bottom of this article.
Another way we can prevent suicide is through research, so suicidal ideation is better understood and ultimately prevented.
Predicting Who is at Risk of Suicide
Identifying brain differences associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviours in young people is critical to understanding how these develop and how we can prevent them.
Because of donors like you, MQ was able to fund the HOPES project (Help Overcome and Predict the Emergency of Suicide) which performed analyses of the brain structures of young people with mood disorders and histories of suicide attempts. The experts observed that in a sample of 394 participants with mood disorders, there was a lower surface area of a prefrontal region called the frontal pole in young people who had a history of suicide attempt than those who hadn’t.
The identification of brain structures that cause young people to have thoughts of suicide and attempt suicide, is crucial in understanding why risk for suicide develops, who will engage and transition to suicide behaviour, and in generating new strategies to detect youths at risk and prevent them from dying by suicide. Find out more.
Using School Data to Identifying At-risk Children
Nearly one in 10 young people self-harm or have suicidal thoughts. But until recently there was little understanding of the risk factors.
An MQ Funded study, run by Dr Rina Dutta from Kings College London, used data to identify the risk factors so that schools can provide better targeted support.
Rina’s study found that for 10% increase in absence from school there was a 7% increase in odds for self-harm. She also found that the higher a student’s attainment in school the higher the risk of self-harm.
There are several possible explanations for the above results, including that poor school attendance could result in social isolation which is known to increase the risk of self-harm. Higher academic attainment could be associated with greater pressure to perform, which in turn increases the risk of self-harm.
This study, which was only made possible by MQ’s generous donors, has provided a unique insight into how schools can provide more targeted prevention strategies. Find out more.
Preventing Repeated Suicide Attempts
We know that when someone attempts suicide and is admitted for hospital treatment, the risk remains high that they will try to take their own life again. But there is currently no standard, evidence-based help that staff can offer to reduce that risk. And many may find they experience delays in getting support from a counsellor, psychologist or psychiatrist too.
Professor Rory O’Connor and his team at the University of Glasgow conducted a study that investigated whether a programme of support developed for veterans in the US can be adapted to fill the urgent need in the UK.
Findings indicated that the SAFETEL study was both acceptable and feasible. Hospital staff reported that the intervention fitted and complemented existing services, and patients reported that they favoured the simplicity and person-centred approach of the safety planning intervention.
