Suicidality and Self-Harming Behaviors in Patients with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS): Case Report and Literature Review

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder which is often associated with significant behavioral challenges and poor intellectual functioning. Research has shown that individuals with PWS are more likely to experience mental health problems, have higher relapse rates, and are at risk of self-harming behavior. Although PWS is associated with mild intellectual disability, which in itself confers a higher mortality rate, suicidality in this population is so far unreported in the literature. We present the case of an 18-year-old male patient who was admitted to our facility following exogenous insulin administration with suicidal intent. The main clinical characteristics, self-harming behaviors, and suicide risk factors of patients with PWS are discussed in this report. The article’s objective is to redirect clinicians’ attention to carefully screen and treat the underlying behavioral problems in PWS patients.

Assessment of selected suicide risk factors and the level of spirituals transcendence and religiosity

Suicide is a global phenomenon and one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The analysis covers suicidal risk factors (depression, psychological pain, fascination with death) and protective factors (spirituality, religiosity) in the population of healthy people in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the relationship between recent stressful events and suicide risk factors. In the period from October 2020 to March 2021, 260 people aged 18-63 were surveyed electronically, using the own questionnaire and Polish adaptations of research tools to assess: depression, mental pain, anxiety and fascination with death, spirituality and religiosity and the AUDIT screening test. 38.8% of the respondents achieved the result indicating the presence of symptoms of depression and the need for specialist consultation. Women achieved higher results compared to men (Z = -2.424; p = 0.015). In the measurement of religiosity and spiritual transcendence, the lowest score was noted on the following scales: religious commitment, religious crisis and fulfillment in prayer, while the highest score in the sense of attachment scale. Among the maximum results, the lowest was recorded in the measurement of transcendence and the highest in religious commitment. In the subscale of religious commitment, the respondents achieved the lowest average intensity, and slightly higher in the measurement of the religious crisis. However, the feeling of fulfillment in prayer and universality were the most intense. Statistical significance was demonstrated between depression and fascination with death (ρ = 0.399; p <0.001) and depression and psychological pain (ρ = 0.677; p <0.001). As the religious crisis intensified, the following also intensified: depression (ρ = 0.290; p <0.001), psychological pain (ρ = 0.279; p <0.001) and fascination with death (ρ = 0.224; p <0.001). A positive correlation was found between the number of stressful events and depression (ρ = 0.259; p <0.001) and psychological pain (ρ = 0.295; p <0.001). Statistical significance was demonstrated in the analysis of the impact of recent stressors on suicide risk factors. Psychological pain is the strongest predictor of the "S" sample, and the religious crisis is associated with a greater severity of suicide risk factors. Depressiveness correlates with the intensity of mental pain and fascination with death in people with a high level of spiritual transcendence and religiosity. Increased depression and psychological pain are more common in women and in people experiencing recent stressful situations in life.

Suicide risk in systemic lupus erythematosus: A narrative review

Introduction: Despite the medical and scientific advances, the disease’s restrictions and the perception of personal and social losses related to its course reinforce fear and generate intense suffering in lupus patients. Psychiatric comorbidities, especially major depressive episodes, are highly prevalent during systemic lupus erythematosus. Among them, suicide is a behavior that is much more common than we believe.Objective: To perform a narrative review on suicidal behavior associated with systemic erythematosus lupus (SLE).Results: Studies have shown an increased risk of suicide among patients with chronic diseases and psychiatric disorders, especially depression. However, suicide cannot be attributed only to a higher prevalence of depression and other mental illnesses. Therefore, it is necessary to learn more about the suicide risk factors present in patients with lupus to work on secondary prevention and avoid the premature loss of lives and the additional suffering of families and surrounding communities. The coordination between the studies on suicidal behavior and its intricate network of individual and sociocultural factors and the studies on this multisystem autoimmune disease with a broad manifestation spectrum, lupus, creates new and essential field research.Conclusions: Non-psychiatrist office-based physicians, health clinics, or wards dedicated to the treatment of SLE should recognize and handle the suicide risk factors on their patients to reduce the suffering caused by this disease.

Suicide Risk Factors: A Language Analysis Approach in Social Media

Suicide represents a public health issue that requires new preventive strategies. Therefore, this study analyzes differences in language use between a themed posts group (suicide and depression) and a random posts group (non-specific topics) from different social media platforms. In addition, the similarity of the texts of themed posts group with the set of phrases linked to suicide risk factors is analyzed. Texts were processed using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software. A 95% bootstrap confidence interval (CI) was built for the difference in means for the resulting values per word category across groups. Significant differences in the use of language were observed between the themed post group and the random post group, whereas no differences were found between the themed post group and the set of phrases linked to suicide risk factors. These results can contribute to the development of risk-detection tools, which identify users at risk based on the analysis of language use embedded in social media. Such opportune detection would significantly increase the suicide prevention work. However, there is still a latent need for doing more research in this field, especially for the Mexican culture.

Financial distress and suicidal behaviour during COVID-19: Family identification attenuates the negative relationship between COVID-related financial distress and mental Ill-health

COVID-19 provides a ‘perfect storm’ of social and economic suicide risk-factors. Recent research has evidenced an initial impact of the pandemic upon suicide rates, but has yet to understand how elevated financial threat and social isolation may predict suicide ideation/behaviour, or which social factors promote resilience. This study addressed these shortcomings. An online longitudinal survey study ( N = 370) which took place from May to September 2020 showed COVID-related financial distress predicts suicidal thoughts and behaviour via increased depression and loneliness. Family identification attenuates these relationships. Our findings reaffirm the importance of social factors in reducing mental ill-health outcomes of economic crises.

Adolescent and Youth Suicide: Risk Factors and Approaches to Prevention

The aim of this article is to explore current approach to suicide prevention at school. The article provides information about statistics and the importance of the problem. It addresses risk and protective factors of suicide and its causes. In addition, it provides a detailed examination of the role of school in suicide prevention. The article contains information regarding specific interventions for staff members, administration and school psychologists. It discusses existing tools and programs the school has access to in order to prevent suicidal behaviors and ideations among students.

Psychosocial suicide risk factors

Due to the number of deaths by suicide, it’s classified as a public health problem, and it is a multifactorial and dynamic problem, influenced by biological, psychological, social, cultural, and environmental factors. The study aimed to identify risk factors based on the proposal of the biopsychosocial model of suicide risk of Turecki by applying the psychological autopsy in three suicide cases in young people. Debido al número de muertes por suicidio se le ha clasificado como un problema de salud pública, es una problemática multifactorial y dinámica, influenciada por factores biológicos, psicológicos, sociales,culturales y ambientales.