Preventing Suicide in Women

Women have their own unique risk factors that can cause them to contemplate suicide. Depression disproportionately affects women, as they are 2 times more likely than men to suffer from depression. Women also experience partner violence 9 times more often than their male peers. These two issues only scratch the surface on issues women face causing them to have suicidal thoughts. If you are a woman in need of assistance or know a woman who does, consult these resources below.

Depression 

This 20 page guide created by the National Institute of Mental Health outlines depression in general, and further explores depression among women starting on page 7. Check out this guide to learn about what causes depression, what the different forms of depression are, what symptoms may look like and more.

Depression in Women: 5 Things You Should Know 

This brochure contains an overview of five things that everyone should know about depression in women. It is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered as a guide for making medical decisions.

Depression Mood Disorders Society of Canada 

A 16-page resource discussing what is depression, common signs and symptom, what causes depression, who gets depression, how depression is diagnosed, how depression is treated, how to help oneself, different types of depression, mood disorders and famous people with mood disorders.

Depression During The Transition To Menopause: A Guide for Patients And Families

It is a common myth that as women enter the menopausal years, it is “normal” to feel depressed. Serious depression, however, should never be viewed as a “normal” event, and women who suffer from it at any time in life should receive the same attention as for any other medical illness. This guide is intended to answer commonly asked questions about depression that occurs around menopause.

Diagrams on Domestic Violence

This word document provides 3 diagrams on domestic violence. This word document can be downloaded and saved to your device.

Domestic Violence Help Lines

If you have experienced domestic abuse, know that you are not alone, and that there are a variety of supports available to you. This document outlines many different resources you can access if you or someone you love is in need.

Intimate Partner Violence in a Pandemic: COVID -19 Related Controlling Behaviours

Risk of intimate partner violence increases during crises such as pandemics. Social and physical distancing measures intended to contain COVID-19 exposure and illness also reduce women’s access to supports and increase their daily exposure to potential abuse. This document contains clickable links to resources for those in need or support.

Letter from Victims Services

This letter from Victims services provides contact information for their offices across Nova Scotia for anyone who is in need of assistance.

The Workplace and Suicide Prevention

The workplace is a major part of the lives of most Canadians. Many of us spend upwards of 60% of our waking hours at work. Therefore, when a colleague dies by suicide the emotional and financial costs are enormous not only to family members, but to co-workers and the organization itself. Workplaces need to have measures in place to inform and educate about suicide. It is an issue that cannot be ignored. This resource is a collection of facts, figures, and best preventative practices regarding suicide in the workplace.

Women And Depression Fact Sheet 

A 3-page resource discussing the symptoms of depression, more common symptoms found in women, why women are more likely to experience depression, gender differences in depression and responses to treatments.

Depression And Information Guide

This 69-guide is for people living with depression, their families and anyone who wants to understand the basics of this illness and its treatment and management. It is not a substitute for treatment from a doctor or mental health care provider, but it can be used as a basis for questions and discussion about depression. This handbook covers many aspects of depression and answers frequently asked questions. With respect to treating depression, new therapies and medications are continually being developed and some current medications may not have been available when this guide was published.

Eating Disorders Among Girls and Women In Canada: Report of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women

In this report, the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women examines eating disorders, the factors contributing to them, and the obstacles in addressing them and seeking treatment. As outlined in the report, the obstacles to addressing eating disorders among Canadians are numerous. However, The Committee hopes that its report will play a role in breaking this silence, opening a crucial dialogue and leading to substantive improvement in the awareness and treatment of eating disorders in Canada.

Keys to Recovering From Depression

This 28-page workbook has three main goals in mind:

1. To provide up-to-date information about what depression is (and what it isn’t)

2. to help identify treatments for depression and stick with it.

3. a compilation of additional suggestions in this workbook from experts in behavioural health care.

There are activities and exercises in this workbook as well.

The Neighbours, Friends And Families Program

Are you worried that a friend or family member is being abused? Are you worried that a friend or family member is abusive or violent to his wife, girlfriend or partner? This program can help you learn about the warning signs of woman abuse and how you may be able to talk to about it with your loved ones.

Work Place Safety Planning

Safety plans should be developed in all cases of domestic violence. This word document provides a template for a safety plan, as well as provides information on domestic abuse and some suggestions that might be helpful. This word document can be downloaded and saved to your device.

Mental Health Services For Women Offenders

Women are more likely to have a diagnosis of a major psychiatric disorder than men. They are also approximately twice as likely as men to suffer from depression. Research shows that incarcerated women have a significantly higher incidence of mental disorders than women in the broader societal population. Visit Correctional Service Canada to access mental health supports for women who have been incarcerated.

Nova Scotia Health Perinatal Mental Health Resources

If you are pregnant or have recently been pregnant and suffer from mental health issues, Nova Scotia Health has resources that you can access to get the help you need. On their website you can find help with substance abuse issues, experiences with any violence, mood disorders, trauma, lists of community supports, self care tips, self-help workbooks, downable apps, suggested readings, and more. Check out their website to access these resources.

Suicide Prevention Resource Center

This website provides links to many resources for women who are suffering with mental health issues or contemplating suicide. You are not alone and there are many people out there who can help you! Visit this website to access them.

Women’s Centres Connect

Women’s Centres Connect are safe spaces for women that serve women of all ages and backgrounds in an environment that is sensitive to women’s needs. They recognize and address issues of concern to women and their families through community development, education, and research. They work together with women in their community to create a just and equitable society. Check out their website for more information and to sign up for their monthly newsletter!

Women Veterans Health Care

This website outlines ways that women veterans can access mental health support when they are in need. Although it is an American Based website, there is still valuable information, help lines, and other resources that can be accessed from here in Nova Scotia.

An Exploration of The Dynamics of Suicide Among Women 

This briefing focuses on suicide among women. We begin the paper with a brief summary of the current position in the literature on the issue of gender and suicide. We then explore how the literature shapes our understanding of suicide among women. We highlight how in direct contrast to male suicide there are a lack of studies that explore female suicide and suggest those female only studies that do exist limit our understanding of this issue among women by focusing only on physiology and mental illness. Then, by examining primary data from the Understanding Suicide study we provide an overview of suicide among women in Northern Ireland. By choosing to focus on female suicide in isolation from male suicide, we demonstrate it is possible to draw out particular issues associated with female lives that can be linked their deaths. We end by questioning whether the current ways of researching suicide allows sufficient possibility for the exploration of the social issues facing women and use our findings to make a practical, policy-driven contribution to the issue of suicide among women in Northern Ireland.

Breast Implants, Self-Esteem, Quality of Life, And The Risk of Suicide 

This commentary is the first to synthesize information from the studies of suicide and breast implants with relevant studies measuring self-esteem, self-concept, mental health, and quality of life among women before and after getting breast implants. We sought to review what is known about the link between breast implants and suicide and identify credible hypotheses deserving of future study.

I’ve Got My Family and My Faith: Black Women and the Suicide Paradox 

Although existing suicide literature proposes black women’s strong religious ties and social networks protect them against suicide, few studies offer black women’s perceptions. The present study examines the factors black women perceive of as protective against suicide by conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews with 33 U.S.-born black women. The results also identify two important factors researchers continue to overlook. These include: (1) Black women’s encounters with longstanding oppression appear to have aided them in developing a strong sense of resiliency that has thereby resulted in a keen sense of survival individually and culturally despite the challenges they face, and (2) black women are highly regarded within their support systems, so their levels of responsibility and commitment to others often results in the dismissal of suicide as an option.

Suicide Attempts by Elderly Women From a Gender Perspective 

This article analyzes the presence of gender inequality and violence in the lives of elderly women who have attempted suicide. The inequalities began in infancy with differentiated gender upbringing; these continued during their youth and with their sexual initiation, marriage and maturity these continued during their adult life through acts of violence committed by their partners and/ or other family members which culminates in old age, when they are deprived of their independence and have lost ties, possessions and points of reference. These lives permeated with violence result in a feeling of emptiness and unworthiness, and lead many elderly women to view death as their only solution.

The Problem of Suicide Among Female Prisoners 

This article summarizes a study conducted among female prisoners incarcerated in institutions for women in Quebec (two prisons and one penitentiary). To date, there have been few studies of suicidal behaviour among female prisoners. Notwithstanding existing differences between men and women in the community in this regard, those working in prisons for women generally agree that the situation among female prisoners is very different. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the magnitude of the suicide problem among women incarcerated in Quebec in terms of the number of previous suicide attempts, the severity of the attempts and the suicide risk potential.

Warning Signs of Suicide in Women With a History of Domestic Violence

Ten adult women with a history of domestic violence and self-poisoning suicide attempts who were followed in the Neps participated in this study. Regarding suicide warning signs, the study reveals the relationship between the experience of violence and repercussions on mental health, expressed by the categories: Depressive behaviour and Suicidal behaviour.