BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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e T his article is the first in a series developed by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Illinois Chapter, for THE RAP SHEET. These research-informed reports are intended to provide MAP members with facts about mental wellness and suicide prevention. The more you know, the easier it will be to talk about these health issues and take appropriate action to help yourself and others. The elevated risk of suicide among police officers is widely recognized. But did you know that construction workers, farmers, miners, nurses, and public entertainers are also at elevated risk? What does a police officer have in common with these and other occupations? And what does “elevated risk” mean? Suicide risk factors are characteristics or conditions that increase the chance that a person may take their life. Just like someone is at greater risk for heart disease because of their high blood pressure or because of a family history of heart disease, some people are at higher risk for suicide than others.

THERE ARE THREE CATEGORIES OF RISK FACTORS:

1. Health Factors 2. Historical Factors 3. Environmental Facts

These risk factors can converge at difference times in a person’s life and increase their risk for suicidal behavior.

Health Factors

Health factors include biological and psychological factors, the most significant of which are mental health conditions. Depression is the most common mental health condition and the one that is most associated with suicide risk. Some other mental health conditions that elevate suicide risk include anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, psychosis, and substance use disorders. Most people who die by suicide have a diagnosable mental health condition at the time of their death. In addition to mental health conditions, physical health factors can also increase suicide risk. These physical health factors include serious and/or chronic health conditions, such as chronic pain or traumatic brain injury (such as a football player’s multiple concussions).

Historical Factors

Historical factors include a family history of suicide or a family history of mental health conditions. Past trauma, such as combat stress, is a historical factor. Research has also found that an abusive childhood or a history of adverse childhood events can contribute to suicide risk. And while most people who attempt suicide do not go on to die by suicide, one or more previous suicide attempts is an historical factor that puts a person at increased risk for suicide.

Metropolitan Alliance of Police

Board of Directors

Keith R. George President John Holiday Vice President John P. Ward Secretary Richard Tracy Treasurer Raymond Violetto Director Mark Wolenberg Director Michael Martin Director

Chief Counsel Joseph Mazzone Director of Legal, Legislative Affairs Keith A. Karlson Deputy Director of Legal Affairs Mark McQueary Co-Counsel Richard Reimer Steven Calcaterra Additional Counsel Ronald Cicinelli Jerry Marzullo Raymond Garza Gary Deutschle Michael Butler Staff Counsel John Gaw Analyst Al Molinaro

MAP Chaplain Deacon Thomas Ross

235 Remington Blvd., Suite B Bolingbrook, IL 60440 630-759-4925 fax: 630-759-1902 email: mapoffice@mapunion.org www.mapunion.org

Environmental Factors

Environmental factors refer to the circumstances of a person’s life, or the aspects of a person’s environment that can contribute to their overall level of risk. For example, prolonged stress (a first responder’s job) or stressful life events (divorce or a loved one’s death) are environmental risk factors. Access to lethal means is another environmental factor that contributes to someone’s level of suicide risk. Suicide contagion – exposure to a suicide or to graphic or sensationalized accounts of suicide – especially for individuals with other suicide risk factors (for example, depression or past trauma), is real and it is yet another environmental risk factor. A physically challenging workplace (think high-rise construction or an oil rig) or difficult work culture (e.g., one short on respect) can also serve as an environmental factor. Physical isolation -a farmer’s environment – is another. There are many other work-related stressors that can heighten suicide risk: job insecurity and lack of autonomy; lack of variety; work-family conflict; feeling “trapped” in a job and/or job burnout; or work that is not meaningful or rewarding. It is important to note that while environmental factors do not lead to suicide on their own, when an individual has other health or historical risk factors, these environmental factors can contribute to an escalation of risk.

Putting It All Together: Understanding Suicide Risk

When someone dies by suicide,

outsiders usually see a single factor, such as a relationship breakup or a job loss. But suicide is never due to a single factor. What the public doesn’t see is the whole picture of a person, such as their health, family history, and life conditions, all of which may play a role in the suicide. Say a person dies after a huge fight with their partner; other people may look to that fight as the “cause” of the suicide. What they don’t know is that the person had a family history of suicide, suffered from depression, and was drinking more than usual. Research and data have shown that suicide occurs because of a convergence of health, historical, and environmental factors. Understanding this is critical to prevention.

Next Issue: Police Risk Factors/Protective Factors. For further information, visit afsp.org. If you need immediate assistance, please call or text 988.

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