Zeitschrift für Suchtforschung und -therapie

Abstrakt

Suicide: A Complex Phenomenon, Risk Assessment, a Dilemma of Emergency Room Physicians

Saeed Ahmed, Mariyah Hussain, Sanya Virani, Sara Dar, Venkatesh Sreeram, Rizwan Ahmed, Muhammad Taha Farooq, Pooja Shah, Tanzeel Shah, Satneet Singh, Sushma Kosaraju and Manpreet Gill

Worldwide, suicide remains a huge public health and social dilemma resulting in the loss of approximately one million lives each year. It is one of the three leading causes of death among the most economically productive age group, i.e., 15-44 years and the second leading cause among the youth. The greatest burden is borne by the low and middle-income countries, ill-equipped to deal with the mental health issues of their populations. High-income countries replete with resources are also struggling with the issue because of inaccessible services or lack of reinforcement of preventative policies. This paper summarizes the theoretical bases of suicide to help better understand the motivations of the most vulnerable groups. In addition, it provides an overview of risk factors and assessment tools. Further, it lays down the guidelines for preventative and management strategies. The aim is to assist clinicians in addressing specific underlying causes of suicidal behaviors and developing quick and effective action plans to help those in dire need.