Suicide and Counseling

By Matthew Ludwick

The facts:• Suicide is one of the top 10 leading causes of death

in the US. • Over 1 million Americans try to kill themselves every

year. • Worldwide, one person dies by suicide every 40

seconds. • Most people who attempt suicide have a high risk of a

repeat attempt. • Most people who have attempted suicide tend to

have some form of mental disorder, such as schizophrenia or depression, and could receive medication dependent on the type of disorder they have. • This could help reduce their risk of suicide

With this in mind…A research team led by Annette Erlangsen of the Department of Mental Health at Johns Hopkins. They analyzed the health data of over 65,000 people in Denmark who have attempted suicide between 1992 and 2010. Over a 20-year follow-up period, they monitored the outcomes of 5,678 people who had attempted suicide and undergone counseling at one of eight clinics, then compared them with the outcomes of people who hadn’t yet received counseling.

Their discovery:In the first year after counseling ended, those who underwent therapy were 27% less likely to repeat suicide attempts, and were at 38% lower risk of death from all causes than those who didn’t receive any therapy. !After 5 years, repeat suicide attempts were 26% lower among the therapy group. !After 10 years, the suicide rate was 229 per 100,000 for the therapy group and 314 per 100,000 for those who didn’t receive therapy.

In conclusion:Since the counseling sessions were tailored to each person’s circumstances, the researchers couldn’t say exactly why the therapy was so effective for preventing suicide. However, they plan on researching that further.