Comparing the reasons for suicide from attempt survivors and their families in Ghana

Exploring the role of religion in the recovery experiences of suicide attempt survivors in Ghana

BACKGROUND

Religion performs a doubled edged role in a suicide crisis. On the one hand, it elicits empathic responses towards suicidal persons. On the other, it condemns and shames them. Although there is evidence that religion promotes better health and general wellbeing, little attention has been given to its role in recovery, especially after a suicide attempt. The current study explored how religion facilitated recovery among suicide attempt survivors.

METHODS

Using a semi-structured interview guide, we interviewed suicide attempt survivors who had attended a psychiatric unit. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.

RESULTS

Ten suicide attempters were interviewed, six females and four males. Three major themes were identified: Reasons in context, Religion in the recovery process and Renewed commitment to religious rituals/practices.

CONCLUSIONS

The role of religion in suicide prevention as a resource, is a complex one. Suicide preventionists need to carefully guide and gauge their prevention efforts in context where religion is rife to provide suicide attempt survivors the most effective religious resource in their recovery trajectory.

The experiences and needs of supporting individuals of young people who self-harm: A systematic review and thematic synthesis

Self-harm in young people is a serious international health concern that impacts on those providing informal support: the supporting individuals of young people. We aimed to highlight the experiences, views, and needs of these supporting individuals of young people. We conducted a systematic review and thematic synthesis: PROSPERO CRD42020168527. MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, AMED, CINAHL, ASSIA, and Web of Science were searched from inception to 6 May 2020 with citation tracking of eligible studies done on 1 Oct 2021. Primary outcomes were experiences, perspectives, and needs of parents, carers, or other family members of young people aged 12-25. Searches found 6167 citations, of which 22 papers were included in synthesis. Supporting individuals seek an explanation for and were personally affected by self-harm in young people. It is important that these individuals are themselves supported, especially as they negotiate new identities when handling self-harm in young people, as they attempt to offer support. The GRADE-CERQual confidence in findings is moderate. Recommendations informed by the synthesis findings are made for the future development of interventions. Clinicians and health service providers who manage self-harm in young people should incorporate these identified unmet needs of supporting individuals in a holistic approach to self-harm care. Future research must co-produce and evaluate interventions for supporting individuals.

FUNDING

FM was supported by a NIHR School for Primary Care Research GP Career Progression Fellowship (SCPR-157 2020-20) to undertake this review and is now funded by a NIHR Doctoral Fellowship (NIHR300957). CCG is part-funded by the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration West Midlands.

Reasons for Suicide Attempts in South India during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: By increasing the risk of isolation, fear, stigma, abuse, and economic fallout, COVID-19 has led to an increase in the risk of psychiatric disorders, chronic trauma, and stress. These factors eventually increase suicidality and suicidal behavior. This study intends to evaluate the reasons for suicide attempts due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the south Indian population.Design: Cross-sectional studySetting: The study was conducted in R. L. Jalappa Hospital and Research Centre, Kolar.Participants: This study was conducted on 91 patients admitted to the general medicine department for a suicide attempt because of the COVID 19 pandemic.Methods: A single examiner conducted a structured interview with a pretested questionnaire with each participant. Participants were asked to indicate the primary reason or motivation for their suicide attempt. Patients answered a set of questions regarding personal and family concerns (marginalization, fear and uncertainty, domestic abuse, loneliness, grief over loss of loved one) and work-related concerns (economic fallout, high-risk environment, shortage of personnel and personal protective equipment [PPE]). We employed mean and standard deviation to descriptively analyze quantitative variables. Categorical variables were expressed in terms of frequency and proportion. For non-normally-distributed quantitative parameters, medians and interquartile range (IQR) were compared across study groups using the Kruskal-Wallis test (> 2 groups). Data was analyzed using coGuide software, V.1.03.Results: The mean age of participants was 29.47±11.06 years, the majority (43.63%) of which were aged between 21 to 40 years of age. The majority (72.53%) of participants reported personal and family concerns as reasons/motivation for suicide, whereas only 17.58% reported work-related concerns. There was a statistically significant difference across reason or motivation for suicide with age (in years) and gender (P value < 0.001).Conclusion: The study concluded that more than half of the patients indicated personal and family concerns as the major reason for suicide attempts during the pandemic. It is vital to emphasize the mental health well-being of the population and take proactive steps to minimize its detrimental effects during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Early marriage, stressful life events and risk of suicide and suicide attempt: a case-control study in Iran

BACKGROUND

Early Marriage (EM) and associated Stressful Life Events (SLEs) and consequences such as psychological and physical well-being issues can lead to suicide and suicide attempts (SA). The study aimed to investigate the risk of suicide and SA among early married people who experienced SLEs.

METHODS

A case-control study was conducted based on the registry for suicide in Malekan county in Iran during 2016-18. Cases included 154 SAs and 32 suicides. Simultaneously, 201 outpatients from the emergency department were chosen as controls. Holms and Rahe life event questionnaire was used to assess SLEs. Sub-group analysis (Mantel-Haenszel) by sex and age groups and multiple logistic regression were used to calculate adjusted Odds Ratios (ORs) with 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs) for the association between EM and suicide risk after adjusting for the potential confounders.

RESULTS

The proportion (female vs male) of EM among suicides, controls, and SAs was 31.25% (18.7 vs 12.5%), 15.92% (11.9 vs 4.0%), and 13.0% (11.7 vs 1.3%), respectively. In subgroup analyses by sex, EM was associated with an increased risk of suicide in both females and males 2.64 and 2.36 times, respectively. Likewise, subgroup analysis by age groups revealed that EM increased suicide risk in subjects aged 10-15 years, while no association was found for age groups of 26-40 and > 40. After adjusting for the potential confounders, EM (OR: 3.01; 95% CI: 1.15 -7.29), financial problems (OR = 4.50; 95% CI: 1.83 -9.07), and family problems (OR = 2.60; 95% CI: 1.19-9.59), were associated with an increased risk of suicide. However, no association was found between EM, various types of SLEs, and the risk of SA.

CONCLUSIONS

We found EM and SLEs were correlated with suicide risk, while no evidence found that EM increased the risk of SA. Progress in reducing EM and addressing its serious consequences can occur by a stronger political commitment and by sharing the experiences and voices of the early married. Our study provided preliminary findings to guide future studies; however, methodological and longitudinal studies are needed to understand and address the effect of EM on suicidal behaviors.

Religion as Meaning-Making Resource in Understanding Suicidal Behavior in Ghana and Uganda

Suicidal behavior is condemned by religions and tradition, and suicide attempts are criminalized by law in several African countries, including Ghana and Uganda. Suicide and suicide attempts may have severe consequences for both the entire family and the community. Religion is known to act as a protective coping force that helps people to make meaning and find comfort when dealing with stressful life events or situations like suicide. In this article, we focus on the cultural interpretations of the dominating religion in Ghana and Uganda, Christianity, and whether these affect attitudes toward suicidal behavior, meaning making, and coping possibilities for people who have attempted suicide or are bereaved by suicide. This article is based on data material from previous studies on the mentioned topics by the authors.