Warning Signs and Red Flags for Suicide

By The Medical City (TMC), Ortigas | September 10, 2020

Mental health experts are now concerned that the COVID-19 public health emergency could eventually lead to a mental health crisis, particularly affecting those who are at risk of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide. This is because the pandemic may be stressful for some people. Dr. Imelda Batar, head of the The Medical City (TMC) Department of Psychiatry, cited the main sources of stress during this pandemic:

Close to 800,000 people die by suicide every year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Furthermore, for each suicide, there are more than 20 suicide attempts. Mental health experts say suicides are preventable and much can be done to prevent suicide at individual, community, and national levels.

Suicide is a serious global public health issue. It is among the top twenty leading causes of death worldwide, with more deaths due to suicide than malaria, breast cancer, or war and homicide.

The cause of suicide is unknown but there are common risk factors which include major psychiatric illness - in particular, mood disorders such depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia; substance abuse; losing hope or the will to live; significant losses in a person's life, such as the death of a loved one, loss of an important relationship, loss of employment or self-esteem, and unbearable emotional or physical pain.

COVID-19 and depression

This is because the pandemic may be stressful for some people. Dr. Imelda Batar, head of the The Medical City (TMC) Department of Psychiatry, cited the main sources of stress during this pandemic:

Uncertain prognoses
Severe shortages of resources for testing and treatment, and for protecting frontliners from infection
Imposition of unfamiliar public health measures that infringe on personal freedoms
Growing financial losses
Conflicting messages from authorities and other sources
Virus and illnesses caused by the virus
Quarantine and isolation

However, these public health measures are necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

It is now more important that we all learn to recognize the warning signs of suicide. Such recognition -- combined with expressing concern and assisting the person with the next step toward getting professional help -- may be lifesaving.

The warning signs for suicide include the following (adapted from the list on the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention):

Talk or Written Words about: Killing Self/Suicide, Hopelessness, No Reason to Live, Being a Burden on Others, Feeling trapped, Unbearable Pain
Behaviors: Increased use of alcohol or drugs, Withdrawal from usual activities, Searching for way to end life, Isolating from family or friends, Highly worrisome changes in behavior
Mood: Depression, Anxiety, Loss of interest, Irritability, Humiliation/Shame, Agitation/Anger, Relief/Sudden Improvement

Other red flags are changes in appetite, sleep disturbance, and anhedonia or reduced ability to experience pleasure.

If you are concerned for a friend or family member, share your concern with this person, noting that you care for him or her. It is recommended that you to listen to and validate the person’s emotional pain, ask if he or she is having thoughts of suicide, and stay with the person until he or she is linked with needed help or with another person who will assist them in getting such help.

Related services available at The Medical City

The Medical City Department of Psychiatry, being the only private institution in the country that offers complete psychiatry subspecialties, takes a more active role in addressing the growing mental health needs of the country. Hence, the Center for Behavioral Health (CBH) was established.

The CBH is the first in the country to offer services that cover the entire continuum of mental health care – from wellness to illness; from assessment to early recognition, to therapeutic intervention to home care; from care that necessitates one therapist to care that necessitates shared responsibility among several team members; from individual therapy to group therapy, and from promotive to preventive care. The CBH is headed by Dr. Mary Daryl Joyce Lindo-Calleja. For inquiries, please call 8-9881000 ext. 6135.

References:

https://www.who.int/health-topics/suicide

https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/psychiatry/michigan-psychiatry-resources-covid-19/specific-mental-health-conditions/suicide-risk-recognizing-responding-risk-during-covid-19-pandemic