Stopping nurse suicides as new research finds shift in technique

In a brand new research, College of California San Diego College of Drugs and UC San Diego Well being researchers report that the speed of firearm use by feminine nurses who die by suicide elevated between 2014 to 2017. Revealed December 21, 2020 within the journal Nursing Discussion board, the research examined greater than 2,000 nurse suicides that occurred in america from 2003 to 2017 and located a definite shift from utilizing pharmacological poisoning to firearms, starting in 2014.

As a part of the longitudinal research, researchers checked out information offered by the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention’s Nationwide Violent Loss of life Reporting System dataset.

“In previous analysis, we decided opioids or different medicines have been extra generally used because the suicidal technique in feminine nurses,” mentioned senior writer Judy Davidson, DNP, RN, analysis scientist at UC San Diego. “From these findings, there was a chance that there is perhaps a change in the way in which nurses die by suicide over time. Now that we have regarded on the information with a give attention to firearms, we’re discovering that shift and it is resulted in a rise in feminine nurses sadly taking their very own life by the usage of firearms.”

The World Well being Group studies that one particular person dies each 40 seconds by suicide, occurring at a charge of 10 per 100,000 individuals. Whereas general mortality charges are lowering within the U.S., the suicide charge is rising, and plenty of concern the COVID-19 pandemic might speed up this rise.

“Sadly it is quite common for suicide charges to extend together with world well being emergencies. We have seen it occur earlier than throughout such occasions, together with the Ebola and SARS epidemics, and we’re seeing it occur now with the COVID-19 pandemic,” mentioned co-author Sidney Zisook, MD, professor of psychiatry at UC San Diego College of Drugs. “The usage of firearms in loss of life by suicide is extra widespread amongst male nurses, so it is alarming to see this enhance amongst feminine nurses now as effectively.”

Based on Davidson, lots of the people who died by suicide all included three related conditions: use of firearm, earlier try and identified melancholy.

“These three components collectively signify preventable deaths of people experiencing very related circumstances,” mentioned Davidson. “If the firearm had been faraway from the house, analysis tells us these deaths might not have occurred. It is important that we inform the general public about firearm security, particularly throughout high-risk occasions, equivalent to these we’re dealing with now.”

Since 2009, UC San Diego has supplied the Healer Schooling, Evaluation and Referral Program, in any other case often called HEAR, to deal with the excessive prevalence of burnout, stress and melancholy particular to the well being care neighborhood. HEAR supplies training about threat elements and proactive screening centered on figuring out, supporting and referring clinicians for untreated melancholy and/or suicide threat. HEAR has been acclaimed as a finest follow in suicide prevention by the American Nurses Affiliation and American Medical Affiliation.

Co-founded by Zisook, the HEAR program was first focused to forestall suicides in physicians and is now inclusive of all UC San Diego Well being employees and school. This system has been replicated by different establishments all through the nation.

“As we enter the vacation season, amid a pandemic that is lasted greater than 11 months now, we’re involved about members of our well being care neighborhood in want of assist throughout such a difficult time,” mentioned co-author Christine Moutier, MD, chief medical officer of the American Basis for Suicide Prevention. “In 2020, there was an unprecedented enhance within the buy of firearms throughout the nation. That is sobering info. However there are evidenced-based approaches to suicide prevention that our neighborhood can profit from, doubtlessly resulting in a life saved.”

Based on the group, examined approaches to stopping suicide embody:

1. Eradicating deadly means from an individual who’s within the technique of being handled for melancholy.
2. If within the dwelling, guarantee firearms are locked and ammunition is saved individually. If the particular person with suicidal ideation lives alone with a firearm within the dwelling, make preparations to take away it whereas the particular person is being handled for melancholy.
3. Improve contact. Loneliness is a threat issue for individuals who are depressed so elevated social presence by telephone calls, or nearly, will help considerably.

“Nurses are being challenged now in methods they by no means have earlier than and suicide threat amongst nurses is increased than the final inhabitants,” mentioned Davidson. “It is necessary to know that people who find themselves contemplating suicide are usually not alone and motion is being taken to guard our nursing workforce. Assist is obtainable and we’re right here to get our group by this difficult time, collectively.”