Calm After Decision Effect: Why suicide prevention matters
To commemorate World Suicide Prevention Day, the Department of Psychology at my college hosted a talk. It was led by a senior resident psychiatrist working at a reputed hospital in the town. The talk focused on suicide prevention, its warning signals, and how we can help those who are going through difficult times. Following the talk, a Q&A session was held open to the crowd. Among the many questions asked, one in particular struck me as interesting. The student pointed out that her distant cousin had died by suicide three years ago. She was married for a year at the time of her death. Her question was “ How can we identify whether someone is suicidal if they don’t display any warning signs? ” The husband, in-laws, and parents of the deceased, when asked if they knew about any prior issues, stated that they didn’t observe any changes in behavior before the suicide. Even when her mother-in-law scolded, the girl was calm and didn’t react or show visible signs of displeasure ...