Running head:

DISCUSSSION 1

Discussion Board Assignment #1

Jerry W Lewis

MPH 855 Introduction to Epidemiology

Department of Baccalaureate & Graduate Nursing, Eastern Kentucky University

Richmond, KY

October 24, 2019

DISCUSSION 2

Discussion Board Assignment #1

According to Webster Dictionary (2019), suicide can be defined as the act or an instance

of taking one's own life voluntarily and intentionally (Webster, 2019). Suicide is often a result of

prolonged mental health disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, borderline personality

disorder, and schizophrenia. In addition to mental disorders, high volumes of stress from things

such as abuse, relationships, financial hardships, as well as substance abuse may also correlate

with suicide attempts (CDC,2019).

Surveillance

There are numerous methods of surveillance of suicide and programs for suicide studies

and prevention. Suicide surveillance data is collected through the American Foundation for Suicide

Prevention, The Suicide Prevention Action Network USA (SPAN USA), And the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the CDC (2019), the case definition for

surveillance of suicide is Death caused by self-directed injurious behavior with an intent to die as

a result of the self-inflicted action. (CDC, 2019) Surveillance data accumulates several ways

hospital discharge data for inpatients, emergency department data, population-based randomized

phone surveys, and self-administered questionnaires.

Epidemiology

The most recent suicide statistics are from 2017, the highest suicide rate (20.2) was among

adults between 45 and 54 years of age. The second-highest rate (20.1) occurred in those 85 years

or older. In 2017, adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 24 had a suicide rate of 14.46. In the

U.S., the suicide rates are highest among Caucasian, Americans about (15.85) or 69.67% of suicide

deaths. Followed by American Indians and Alaska Natives (13.42). African Americans were third

at (6.61). Asians and Pacific Islanders were fourth at (6.59). The Male-female ratio in the United
DISCUSSION 3

States is 3.3. There are several methods of suicide, such as suffocation, poisoning, and firearms.

Firearms are the most common method of Death by suicide, accounting for a little more than half

(50.57%) of all suicide deaths. The United States was ranked 34th globally. The U.S. had 47,173

Americans die by suicide; that is one death every 11 minutes (WHO). Kentucky is ranked twenty-

one in the United States, with a population of four 4,.4 million 770 persons died of suicide that is

one person every 11 hours, and suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 15-34 (WHO).

The Department of Veterans Affairs reported There were 6,139 veteran suicide deaths in 2017, an

increase of 129 from 2016, an average of 20 suicide deaths per day in 2017 (Office of Public and

Intergovernmental Affairs, 2016). The incubation period for suicide would be hard to determine

in some cases; it could take years; in other cases, only minutes. The act itself is usually just seconds

and at the most minutes. The suicide rate has increased by 24 percent from 1999 and 2017, from

10.5 to 13.0 suicides per 100,000 people (AFSP, 2019).

Screening and Prevention

There are numerous strategies for the prevention of suicide listed on the CDCs website. These

include Strengthen access and delivery of suicide care by Coverage of mental health conditions

in health insurance policies. Reduce provider shortages in under-served areas. Promote

connectedness Peer norm programs and Community engagement activities. Teach coping and

problem-solving skills and Social-emotional learning programs. Teach parenting skills and

family relationship programs. Identify and support people at risk through Gatekeeper training

Crisis intervention. Create protective environments. Reduce access to lethal means among

persons at risk of suicide (CDC, 2019). Remove or secure firearms from home of any person

suffering from depression. (CDC,2019). Access to a gun increases the risk of death by suicide by

a factor of three. Eighty-five percent of suicide attempts by a gun result in death versus 5% by
DISCUSSION 4

any other method (Everytown,2019). Suicides account for two-thirds of all deaths by firearm

and half of all suicides. There are several suicide screening tools. The Columbia -Suicide

Severity Rating Scale uses a set of questions to determine some one's risk of committing suicide

(Katz et al., 2019). Safe-T is another screening suicide tool that examines someone's risk factors,

protective factors, suicide inquiry, risk level. This tool helps providers choose the best

intervention and documentation (Screening Tools, 2019). Suicide remains a global issue that

effects those from various cultures, genders, and ages.

DISCUSSION 5

References
AFSP, April 16, 2019. “Suicide Statistics.” https://afsp.org/about-suicide/suicide-statistics/.

AFSP, October 11, 2019. “State Fact Sheets.” https://afsp.org/about-suicide/state-fact-

sheets/#Kentucky.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Suicide Prevention. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/suicide/

Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed October 24, 2019.
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/suicide/prevention.html

Katz, I. , Barry, C. N., Cooper, S. A., Kasprow, W. J. and Hoff, R. A. (2019), Use of the
Columbia‐Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C‐SSRS) in a large sample of Veterans receiving
mental health services in the Veterans Health Administration. Suicide Life Threat Behavior.
doi:10.1111/sltb.12584

“Firearm Suicide in the U.S.” EverytownResearch.org. Accessed October 24, 2019.

https://everytownresearch.org/reports/disrupting-access/.

Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs. (2016, September 1). Office of Public and
Intergovernmental Affairs. Retrieved October 31, 2019, from
https://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=4074.

“Prevention Strategies|Suicide|Violence Prevention|Injury Center|CDC.” Centers for Disease.

Screening Tools / SAMHSA-HRSA. SAMHSA's. “Screening Tools.” Accessed October 24,

2019. https://www.integration.samhsa.gov/clinical-practice/screening-tools#suicide.

Suicide. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/suicidehttps://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suicide.

World Health Organization. (2017). Depression and Other Common Mental Disorders, Global

Health Estimates. Retrieved from http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/254610/1/WHO-

MSD-MER-2017.2-eng.pdf

World Health Organization. (2017). Suicide Data. Retrieved from

https://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/suicideprevent/en/