Citation

Wang Q. Front. Psychiatry 2023; 14: e1218831.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Frontiers Media)

DOI

10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1218831

PMID

37293408

PMCID

PMC10244736

Abstract

Suicide is an alarming public health issue that transcends geographical, cultural, and socioeconomic boundaries (1). The complexity of its causes and manifestations necessitates the continuous exploration and understanding of its various aspects. In recent decades, suicide has become a leading cause of death worldwide, with devastating social, psychological, and economic consequences (2). Despite the increasing recognition of this public health crisis, there is a persistent need for a comprehensive understanding of suicidal behavior and ideation in order to develop more effective prevention and intervention strategies. In this editorial, we will explore the complex and multifaceted nature of suicide, examining its demographics, biomarkers, and treatment from a global perspective. By shedding light on this challenging subject, we aim to contribute to the ongoing conversation surrounding mental health and stimulate further research and collaboration across disciplines and borders. The focus of this Research Topic is understanding suicidal behavior and ideation from a global perspective. In this special issue, we have gathered eight articles that contribute to this ongoing dialogue, providing valuable insights into suicide risk factors, assessment, and prevention strategies across diverse populations and contexts. The collection of papers includes brief research reports, original research, perspectives, reviews, and retrospective case series. The contributions come from a variety of disciplines and are based on diverse research populations in Bulgaria, Australia, Spain, Hungary, and China.

Stoychev et al. brief report sheds light on the vulnerability of psychiatric patients. This study examines a decade's worth of data from a Bulgarian registry and concludes that mood disorders, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, and organic conditions are the most prevalent diagnoses associated with suicide. The authors also demonstrate that male gender, single or divorced marital status, early onset of illness, co-occurring substance abuse, and inferior educational attainment (for patients below the age of 70) were significantly associated with an earlier age of suicide. In contrast, there was no significant association between past suicide attempts and psychiatric hospitalizations, comorbid somatic conditions, or unemployment. Another important finding from this study was that a substantial proportion of patients contacted psychiatric services in the year prior to their suicide, with nearly half of these contacts occurring within 30 days of the accident. This study identifies significant suicide risk factors, including sociodemographic and illness-related factors. These findings can be utilized to more effectively develop targeted interventions and allocate resources to cater to the needs of high-risk populations...

Language: en

Keywords

assessment; suicide; review; treatment; demographics; evidence-based practice