Suicidal ideation

Suicidal ideation
Other namesSuicidal thoughts, Suicidal ideas
Sappho, an 1897 portrait by Ernst Stückelberg
SpecialtyPsychiatry, psychology

Suicidal ideation, or suicidal thoughts, is the thought process of having ideas, or ruminations about the possibility of completing suicide.[1] It is not a diagnosis but is a symptom of some mental disorders, use of certain psychoactive drugs, and can also occur in response to adverse life events without the presence of a mental disorder.[2]

On suicide risk scales, the range of suicidal ideation varies from fleeting thoughts to detailed planning. Passive suicidal ideation is thinking about not wanting to live or imagining being dead.[3][4] Active suicidal ideation involves preparation to kill oneself or forming a plan to do so.[3][4]

Most people who have suicidal thoughts do not go on to make suicide attempts, but suicidal thoughts are considered a risk factor.[5] During 2008–09, an estimated 8.3 million adults aged 18 and over in the United States, or 3.7% of the adult U.S. population, reported having suicidal thoughts in the previous year, while an estimated 2.2 million reported having made suicide plans in the previous year.[6] In 2019, 12 million U.S. adults seriously thought about suicide, 3.5 million planned a suicide attempt, 1.4 million attempted suicide, and more than 47,500 died by suicide.[7][8] Suicidal thoughts are also common among teenagers.[9]

Suicidal ideation is associated with depression and other mood disorders; however, many other mental disorders, life events and family events can increase the risk of suicidal ideation. Mental health researchers indicate that healthcare systems should provide treatment for individuals with suicidal ideation, regardless of diagnosis, because of the risk for suicidal acts and repeated problems associated with suicidal thoughts.[10][11] There are a number of treatment options for people who experience suicidal ideation.

  1. ^ World Health Organization, ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics, ver. 09/2020, MB26.A Suicidal ideation
  2. ^ Barry, Lisa C. Passive Suicidal Ideation in Older Adults: Implications for Suicide Prevention, American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 27, no. 12 (December 2019): 1411 ("... growing evidence points toward a subgroup of individuals who endorse passive SI [suicidal ideation] in later life outside the context of clinical depression.")
  3. ^ a b Falcone, Tatiana; Timmons-Mitchell, Jane (2018-05-18). "Mood Disorders and Suicide". Suicide Prevention: A Practical Guide for the Practitioner. Springer. p. 38. ISBN 978-3-319-74391-2.
  4. ^ a b Kumar, Updesh (2017-10-26). "Suicidal Ideation in Adolescents–A Transcultural Analysis". Handbook of Suicidal Behaviour. Springer. p. 269. ISBN 978-981-10-4816-6.
  5. ^ Gliatto, MF; Rai, AK (March 1999). "Evaluation and Treatment of Patients with Suicidal Ideation". American Family Physician. 59 (6): 1500–6. PMID 10193592. Archived from the original on 2006-09-25. Retrieved 2007-01-08. Open access icon
  6. ^ Crosby, Alex; Beth, Han (October 2011). "Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Adults Aged ≥18 Years --- United States, 2008-2009". Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 60 (13). Archived from the original on 2015-01-07. Retrieved 2015-01-08.
  7. ^ CDC. "Facts About Suicide". Archived from the original on 2022-01-07. Retrieved 2022-01-09.
  8. ^ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2020). "Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health". Archived from the original on 2021-10-09. Retrieved 2022-01-09.
  9. ^ Uddin, R; Burton, NW; Maple, M; Khan, SR; Khan, A (2019). "Suicidal ideation, suicide planning, and suicide attempts among adolescents in 59 low-income and middle-income countries: a population-based study" (PDF). The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health. 3 (4): 223–233. doi:10.1016/S2352-4642(18)30403-6. hdl:10072/387579. PMID 30878117. S2CID 81982117. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-02-18. Retrieved 2019-11-29.
  10. ^ Griffin, E.; Kavalidou, K.; Bonner, B.; O'Hagan, D.; Corcoran, P. (2020). "Risk of repetition and subsequent self-harm following presentation to hospital with suicidal ideation: A longitudinal registry study". eClinicalMedicine. 23: 100378. doi:10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100378. ISSN 2589-5370. PMC 7280762. PMID 32529177.
  11. ^ Kleiman, Evan M. (2020). "Suicidal thinking as a valuable clinical endpoint". eClinicalMedicine. 23: 100399. doi:10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100399. ISSN 2589-5370. PMC 7298405. PMID 32566922.