Suicide Prevention Month 2022 Week 3
Stephanie Weatherly, DNP, PMH RN-BC, FACHE 
Chief Clinical Officer 
September 19, 2022 The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released data on the first month of the Suicide and Crisis Hotline’s transition to the phone number of “988.” The data showed a 45% increase in call volume and a reduction in call wait times from the previous year. This equates to an increase of 152,000 more calls or contacts than in August of 2021. The hotline also reduced the amount of time people are waiting for someone to connect from 2.5 minutes to 42 seconds.
With the World Health Organization predicting the continued rise of death by suicide over the next decade, the improved access to support for those at suicide risk is significant. Better access to a call center and reduced wait times translates into more individuals receiving help and a reduction in suicide risk.
To prevent death by suicide, we need to understand the complex risk factors that increase a person’s risk for attempting suicide. One of the most recognized indicators of suicide risk is psychache. Suicidologist Edwin Shneidman defines the term as unbearable psychological pain-hurt, anguish, soreness, and aching.
According to Shneidman, suicide is best understood as moving toward the complete stopping of one’s consciousness and unendurable pain as the solution to life’s painful and pressing problems. “Pain is the core of suicide. Suicide is an exclusively human response to extreme psychological pain.”
As seen in Figure 1, the path from psychache to death by suicide has areas where we can intervene, provide support, and hopefully break this pathway of lethality.
Following psychache, other psychological factors like personality traits, emotional characteristics, and dysregulation play a role with emerging importance to decision-making deficit among suicidal individuals.
Next week, we will discuss interpersonal factors and their role as a psychological factor for suicide risk.
Thank you for all that you are doing to intervene and spread awareness!
If you or someone you know is in need of a behavioral health placement, behavioral health referral, or experiencing a mental health emergency or crisis, please do not use this website. Instead, use these crisis resources to speak with someone now or access local support.
