It’s Not Rare For Those Contemplating Suicide To Deny It, But There May Be A Way To Predict It
New research looks at how the brain reacts to certain words when a person is considering suicide.
Los Angeles Times:
How Your Brain Processes Certain Words Can Help Predict Your Risk Of Suicide
When a person’s distress, depression or discouragement appears to have taken a sharp turn for the worse, it’s time to ask him or her a weighty question: Are you thinking of harming yourself? If only the answer were a better guide. One study has found that nearly 80% of patients who took their own lives denied they were contemplating suicide in their last contact with a mental healthcare professional. Friends and family suffer the guilt and anguish of not having divined a loved one’s intentions, but mental health professionals rarely fare much better at doing so. (Healy, 10/31)