Suicide Prevention Quiz?
Take this quiz to test your knowledge.Circle “T” for true, “F” for False.
1.Of any 10 persons who kill themselves, 8 have givendefinite warnings of their suicidal intentions. TF2.Spring and Mondays are have the highest numbers of suicides. T F3.A history of past suicidal attempts is sad, but notuseful in predicting future attempts. T F4.Suicide rates are higher among the 15-24 year oldage group. T F5.Suicide is not ranked in the top ten causes of death inthe United States. T F6.There are three attempts at suicide for every onecompleted suicide. T F7.Individuals who attempt to kill themselves aresuicidal for limited time periods only. T F8.Improvement following a suicidal crisis means thatthe self injury risk is over. T F9.Studies of hundreds of genuine suicide notes indicatethat although the suicidal individual is extremelyunhappy, he or she is not necessarily mentally ill.T F10.Suicide rates are higher in the military than civiliansector. T F11.Women attempt suicide as often as men in theUnited States. T F12.At one time or another, almost everyonecontemplates suicide. T F13.Most suicidal persons who die did not have mixedfeelings about living or dying. T F14.Almost no one commits suicide without lettingsomeone know about their intentions. T F15.All verbal indications of suicide intent should betaken seriously. T F16.If one suspects that a person is thinking aboutsuicide, asking about it may cause the person tocommit suicide. T F
To Discover Your Score, Read On!
Adapted From: American Association of Suicidologyand NIH Pub# 82-2308, Aug 81, “Suicide Prevention”.
Answers to the Quiz:
1.True.2.True.3.False. A history of past coping behaviors(including suicide attempts) is a good indicator of futurecoping behavior.4.False. Suicide rates are highest among those over 65 years old. Their rates tend to be more than 50%higher than the national average and that of 15-24 year olds.5.False. Suicide ranks in the top ten causes of death.For 15-24 year olds it is third following accidents andhomicides.6.False. Estimates vary, but generally there are 8 to20 attempts for every completed suicide.7.True.8.False. Often the person is at greater risk of suicidewhen they appear to be improving. For depressed people, as they improve they now have the energy to acton their depressed feelings.9.True. However, mental health diagnoses (e.g.,depression, schizophrenia, alcoholics, and panicdisorders) are associated with greater risks of suicide.10.False. The suicide rate in the military is generallythe same as in the civilian sector. However, over the past 8 years it has risen from 11.7 per 100,000 to 14.2 per 100,000.11.False. Risk of attempted suicide is greater for females and the young. Females generally make 3 to 4times as many attempts as males. Males tend to choosemore lethal and successful methods.12.True. Given enough stress, almost all of usconsider suicide as an option.13.False. Most people who are suicidal are unsureabout whether to live or die.14.True. One of the commonalties of suicide is thecommunication of intent.15.True. Especially higher functioning individualsare less likely to convey their intent. Any hints should be taken seriously. Do not be afraid to ask!16.False. Instead, asking the person and expressingconcern may save their life.
TargetingSuicide
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask!
Directorate of Health Promotion and WellnessU.S. Army Center for Health Promotion andPreventive Medicine
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