Suicide is an increasingly common cause of death. Suicide rates in the United States have increased by more than 35% in the past two decades. According to the National Institute of Mental Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1, suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in 2021, accounting for more than 48,000 deaths—twice the number of homicides. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for 10- to 14-year-olds and 25- to 34-year-olds. It's the t hird leading cause of death among those 15 to 24.

Prediction is key for prevention. The proposed disorder suicide crisis syndrome, in which high emotional pain and feeling trapped (“entrapment”) precipitate increased risk 2, provides a model for conceptualizing suicide as a psychiatric emergency analogous to a heart attack. Artificial intelligence could be used to help researchers identify patterns of brain activity3 distinguishing lethal from non-lethal intent.

Interviews with near-lethal suicide attempt survivors4 has identified seven themes: Developmental conflicts and crises; character traits and vulnerabilities; interpersonal and object relations paradigms; thinking and affect; fantasies of death; the paradoxical nature of the immediate moment of the suicide attempt; and reactions to........

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