Suicide and Self-inflicted Injuries

There are a couple of memories that are permanently etched in my mind, and gratefully, most are memories I never want to forget. But unfortunately, some memories still bring sadness and heartache.

I had an extended family member take her own life prematurely, and it has affected my life eternally.

The Mayo Clinic provides guidelines to distinguish who’s at risk for suicide and how to recognize potential warning signs. These guidelines are important to potentially saving a life.

The following video was a Public Service Announcement produced by the Did Hirsch Community Mental Health Center in Culver City CA. It raises awareness on recognizing warning signs of potential suicide victims.

Racial Disparities and Unintentional Injuries

I am a racial minority–half Hawaiian and half Japanese. Because of my ethnic background, I understand how race can affect one’s life. I am fortunate and blessed to have parents that have worked hard to provide a great life for myself and my family.

My Family

The Prevention Institute featured an article about unintentional injuries. The goal of the Prevention Institute is to have prevention be the center of communities. This focus on prevention is not an easy task.

Minority communities suffer greatly from not only health disparities, but inequalities such as socio-economic status, type of employment, housing and neighborhood conditions, and hazardous exposures. African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans, are the racial groups that suffer a disproportionately high rate of unintentional injuries.

The CDC provides a simple and basic brochure to help communities, especially minority communities,  become more educated about injury prevention. Simple steps such as seeing a health care provider regularly, or eating right and maintaining a healthy body weight, will encourage communities to increase overall quality of life.

Estimating the Costs of Unintentional Injuries

Through my research of unintentional injuries, I thought about the cost that might be associated with each injury I read about as I continued to find more journals and articles on unintentional injuries. I especially thought about the burden of cost to those injured and their families.

The National Safety Council provides specifics on the estimated costs of unintentional injuries and illustrates, through staggering numbers, the economic burden unintentional injuries cause.

Some of the main costs associated with unintentional injuries are:

• direct medical care costs
• rehabilitation
• lost income because of injuries or disability
• lost of productivity

In the late 1990′s, unintentional injuries estimated costs reached $224 billion annually. These estimates rose 42% since the 1980′s and continue to grow. It costs far less to prevent injuries than to treat them. Consider the following examples:

• Every child safety seat saves $85 in direct medical costs and an additional $1,275 in other costs.
• Every bicycle helmet saves $395 in direct medical costs and other costs.
• Every smoke detector saves $35 in direct medical costs and an additional $865 in other costs.
• Every dollar spent on poison control centers saves $6.50 in medical costs.

Emphasis on preventing unintentional injuries is the key to decrease the burden of cost associated with unintentional injuries. For more information on the estimated costs of unintentional injuries, please click here.