Crisis prevention and suicide services fight demand after celebrity suicides

Press release

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

An NIH study identifies the importance of support for critical suicide prevention services.

According to a recent study on mental health services in crisis, the United States may not have the resources to cope with the growing demand for suicide prevention services after celebrity suicides. The study, conducted by a team of researchers and including scientists from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health, highlighted the need to establish hotlines. to provide additional funds, allocate existing funds more efficiently, and develop contingency plans to deal with the increase in call volume, particularly the first two days following a suicide. celebrity. The results appear in the log Psychiatric services.

"Suicide prevention is a major public health concern and a top priority for NIMH," said Joshua A. Gordon, MD, Ph.D., director of NIMH. "This study underscores the importance of national security in suicide prevention and other mental health services in times of crisis, as well as the need to build the cutting-edge capacity of these life-saving services."

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people aged 10 to 34 in the United States, and the suicide rate continues to rise. Suicide rates generally follow predictable patterns, with increases in the spring and a second smaller increase in the early summer. However, some events, such as high-profile celebrity suicides, can be "shocks" that cause a sudden increase in the number of suicides.

In order to test the ability of mental health services in crisis to cope with a sudden increase in the demand for help, this study examined the increase in the suicide rate within 30 days of suicide Robin Williams on August 11, 2014. She also reviewed the evolution of help – and the search for information related to suicide, and changes in the percentage of calls to which the line National Suicide Prevention (NSPL) was able to respond after the death of Williams.

Researchers used data from the Canadian Center for Health Statistics' Center for Disease Control and Prevention's compressed mortality database to compare the number of deaths by suicide with the suicide method used in the 30 days before and after the August 11, 2014. Time period in 2012 and 2013. In 2012-2014, there was an average of 113-117 suicides per day; after Williams' suicide, the average rate increased to 142 deaths per day, which was not observed in 2012 or 2013. About two-thirds of those who die by suicide immediately after the death of the actor used the same method of suicide as Williams.

The study also examined the number of calls made to NSPL immediately before and after the end of his life, to determine whether media coverage of his death had prompted more people to seek help. The day after his death, the number of calls increased by 300%, from 4,000 to 6,000 calls per day to 12,972. However, for lack of capacity to meet this increased demand for crisis services, the The fraction of calls answered increased from an average of 73% to 57%, highlighting a gap in the ability of the NSPL to respond to increases in calls for help.

To measure information-seeking behavior, the study examined visits to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SRPC) and SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education) websites. In the week prior to Williams' death, the SPRC website averaged 2,315 visits per day. The day after his death, the site was visited 5,981 people. The SAVE website received an average of 4,239 visits per day during the week before his death and 24,819 visits on 12 August. The average number of daily visits to both sites remained consistently higher during the rest of August.

The study suggests that an effective allocation of existing funds and obtaining new funding will be critical to continuing to meet the demand for mental health services in crisis situations, including peak capacity .>

"Crisis mental health services, such as hotlines and suicide prevention websites, provide effective counseling and life-saving resources for people in suicidal distress. We need to ensure that these services have sufficient resources to serve the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, particularly in times of increased demand, "said Dr. Jane Pearson, Chair of the Research Consortium. on the suicide of the Services and Research Division of NIMH.

"Shocking events, such as Mr. Williams' suicide, upset normal patterns of suicide rates and lead to increased calls for help and imitation suicides," said lead researcher Rajeev Ramchand, Ph.D. Cohen Veterans Network. "This underscores the need for additional and consistent support for mental health services in crisis situations, including emergency departments of hospitals, law enforcement agencies, poison control centers and hospitals. health services, as well as mental health resources that serve as reference sources. "

About the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): The mission of NIMH is to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illness through fundamental and clinical research, paving the way for prevention, recovery and healing. For more information, visit the NIMH website.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):
The NIH, the country's medical research agency, has 27 institutes and centers and is part of the US Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the lead federal agency that leads and supports basic, clinical and translational medical research. She studies causes, treatments and cures for common and rare diseases. For more information on NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

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