Recent life events, Social support and suicide

Abstract

The occurrence of recent life events during the last 3 months, and Social support received were studied in a nationwide suicide population (N = 1,067) in Finland. Recent life events were reported in 80 % of the suicides. Job problems (28 %), family discord (23 %), somatic illness (22 %), financial trouble (18 %), unemployment (16 %), separation (14 %), death (13 %) and illness in family (12 %) were the most common life events. Sex differences were found in recent life events: any life event, separation, financial trouble, job problems and unemployment were more common among males. The mean number of life events was also higher among males. Living alone was more common among female victims. Females had children more often than males. In terms of friendships, more females had a close friend, whereas more males had friends sharing common interests. Females had complained of loneliness more often than males. Those females who had lived alone had encountered a recent death more often than other females. The male victims who had lived alone had experienced separation, financial trouble and unemployment during the last 3 months more frequently than other males, suggesting a concurrent stressor effect of these recent life events with living alone in male suicides.

Self-harm and life problems: findings from the Multicentre Study of Self-harm in England

“…It is also important to determine to what extent these problems differ according to key individual characteristics such as age, gender and employment status. Both self-harm [7] and suicide [8] are associated with increased negative life events, with the vast majority of patients who present to general hospital for self-harm reporting that they are facing multiple problems in life [9]. Relationship problems (with family, partners and others) are consistently shown to be the most common type of problem cited by individuals who self-harm and this (largely) holds across age and gender [9,10].…”

Familien og selvmordsatferd - noen hovedtrekk fra forskningen

“…La oss først slå fast at både negative livshendelser og vedvarende ytre påkjenninger i året før selvmordshandlingen er sentrale risikofaktorer, og risikoen øker desto flere påkjenninger en er utsatt for (Heikkinen et al 1993).…”

“…Tap av samlivspartner, brudd med kjaereste eller store konflikter i samlivsforhold er blant de vanligste livspåkjenningene i året før en selvmordshandling, både i tenårene og i voksen alder (Heikkinen et al 1993, Grøholt et al 1998. Når det gjelder tap av ens naermeste, kan det se ut som om menn er saerlig utsatt for økt selvmordsfare.…”

Do Meaning in Life and Purpose in Life Protect Against Suicide Ideation Among Community-Residing Older Adults?

“…Our framework was influenced by Logotherapy, Frankl's (1985) meaning-centered theory and therapy, and by theories of suicide risk advanced by Baumeister (1990), Clark (1993), andJoiner (2005). Collectively, these and associated theorists have posited that cognitive, interpersonal, and/or personality rigidity can prove fatal when combined with difficulty adjusting to life stressors and transitions (Heikkinen et al 1993;Kaplan et al 2011;Richman 1997). Our framework goes beyond other models by conceptualizing a process by which resiliency can alleviate suicide risk.…”