Facts and Myths about Suicide

About the Course
Suicide is often one of the most challenging subjects for healthcare providers to broach, yet it is an integral part of patient safety. The number of annual suicides in the United States translates to an average of one person every 11.1 minutes and one attempt every 26.6 seconds. It is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 34 (American Association of Suicidology [AAS], 2021). This podcast series was developed to help healthcare professionals understand the myths surrounding suicide and to provide healthcare providers with strategies to effectively assess if a person is at risk of suicide.

Content Warnings: Mentions of depression, death, suicide, firearms, overdose, and strangulation.

Listen, Learn, and Earn CE Hours with this podcast course. Available on Apple, Spotify, and other podcast apps.

Learning Outcomes 
Upon completion of this course, the learner should be able to: 

• Identify facts of suicide in the United States. 
• Describe some of the factors that relate to attempted and completed suicide. 
• Discuss how to interview a patient who is at risk of suicide. 

About the Author
Reg Arthur Williams, PhD, RN, BC, FAAN, is professor emeritus in the School of Nursing and Psychiatry, Medical School at the University of Michigan. He received his bachelor of science in nursing in 1968 and then reported to activity duty in the U.S. Navy, stationed at the Naval Hospitals in Pensacola, Florida, and St. Albans, New York. After active duty, he received his master’s degree in psychosocial nursing from the University of Washington, Seattle, in 1973, and then taught Psychosocial Nursing at the University of Washington School of Nursing. He completed his PhD in higher education in 1980 and became the chair in Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing at the University of Michigan, where he taught undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students. As a board-certified clinical nurse specialist and nurse practitioner in the state of Michigan, he continues to carry a small caseload of patients who suffer from depression at the University of Michigan Depression Center, where he provides psychotherapy and medication management. He has conducted research on depression and was the principal investigator in research funded over a 15-year period by the Department of Defense, TriService Nursing Research Program, to examine stress and depression among young men and women in military service. He has written four books and more than 80 journal publications.

How to Receive Credit

• Listen to the entire course online which requires a 1-hour commitment of time. 
• At the end of the course, answer the Yes/No Affirmation question to indicate that you have completed the educational activity. 
• Specific to Florida: A mandatory Final Examination with a passing score of 70% or higher is required. Exam questions link content to the course Learning Objectives as a method to enhance individualized learning and material retention. 
• Provide required personal and payment information. 
• Complete the mandatory course evaluation. 
• Print your Certificate of Completion. 

Resolution of Conflict of Interest*
Planners, faculty, and others in control of content (either individually or as a group) have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies. 

Sponsorship/Commercial Support and Non-Endorsement 
It is the policy of Colibri Healthcare, LLC not to accept commercial support. Furthermore, commercial interests are prohibited from distributing or providing access to this activity to learners.