Early professional support could lead to treatment of certain conditions
Most of those admitted to Mount Carmel Hospital against their will after attempting #suicide or expressing #suicidal thoughts suffer from potentially treatable mood and #anxiety disorders, according to new research.
Mental Health Commissioner John Cachia, who carried out the research, is calling on other professionals to break the silence on #suicide and possibly narrow the risks by looking at the pattern of admissions.
“Half of the people who had attempted or expressed #suicidal intention were diagnosed with mood disorders like depression or bipolar disorder,” Dr Cachia told The Sunday Times of Malta. “Another 22% suffered from severe #anxiety or stress related disorder.
#JamesDonaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space. #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
“These are all potentially treatable conditions if people seek support early enough.”
Dr Cachia will be one of the speakers at this month’s Malta Association of Psychiatry’s annual conference that will focus on #suicide and self-harm behaviours.
Data shows that two people die by #suicide every month. However, only a quarter of them would have come in contact with health services.
Nine in every 10 #suicides are by men: they numbered 194 of the 223 #suicide victims recorded between 2010 and 2018.
While such data has been publicly available for some years, Dr Cachia has looked beyond the figures, especially at the ages most at risk.
Over the past five years, two thirds of the #men who died by #suicide were aged between 30 and 59. A fifth of #female victims were aged between 14 and 17.
So while #suicide is dominated by #males, it is not a men-only issue – Dr Cachia insists society needs to focus on young women as well.
His research took him one step further. Dr Cachia’s office monitors people who are admitted to psychiatric hospitals against their will. These make up a quarter of the total admissions, 400 patients in all.
And among them are the people who are most at risk. Some 15% of involuntary admissions had either attempted #suicide (53%), self-harmed (165) or had a #suicidal intent (35%).
By looking into cases of people who come in contact with health services after expressing #suicidal thoughts or making failed #suicidal attempts, Dr Cachia hopes to identify risks and ways to mitigate them.
When it comes to involuntary admissions for self-harm or #suicidal intent, the ratio between men and women is no longer nine men to one woman, as in completed #suicides. It shifts to seven men to three women.
However, the number of girls aged 17 and under is still double that of men, exposing a higher risk among #women at this vulnerable age.
There is no gender difference between the ages of 18 and 29 but the risk among #men increases after the age of 30.
“This means that while #men are more at risk of completed #suicide, when it comes to people who are referred or admitted for care, the scenario is completely different.
“The figures tally with general psychiatry data: we normally see four women for every six men with acute psychiatric problems. Therefore, we need to understand better what triggers a situation that sees many more men dying by #suicide.”
Dr Cachia called on fellow stakeholders to break the silence on #suicide and #suicidalthoughts, particularly when it comes to mood, #anxiety and stress-related disorders.
He recommended looking at #suicidal intent and attempts across all inpatient acute psychiatric admissions, which would include voluntary admissions for psychiatric care in Mater Dei Hospital, Mount Carmel Hospital and the Gozo Hospital.
Patterns discovered from such data could help set off alarm bells for any professional who comes in contact with distressed people, possibly even narrowing down risks by gender and age, he added.
The MAP conference will be held on June 13 and 14. Its ultimate aim is to empower professionals from all walks of life to “promote a life worth living”. Log on to www.map.org.mt for more information.
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
