On this World Suicide Prevention Day, researchers from the Centre for Research and Intervention on Suicide, Ethical Issues and End-of-Life Practices (CRISE) wish to highlight the crucial importance of interdisciplinary research and research networks in this field.
In 2022, in Quebec, at least 1,102 people died by suicide, 3,627 were hospitalized due to a suicide attempt, 4,617 visited the emergency room for the same reason and nearly 35,000 people consulted the emergency room following suicidal ideation. Among those who were hospitalized, 17% will be hospitalized again and 2.5% will die by suicide within twelve months of their act. It is estimated that for each person who dies by suicide, around a hundred people are affected or grieving.
Despite a steady decline in deaths over the past twenty years, thoughts and attempts are on the rise. We should therefore not be satisfied with statistics indicating a decline in the number of deaths: suicide remains a worrying problem.
Suicide is far from being a phenomenon that researchers can describe and understand once and for all. Suicidal behaviors vary greatly, depending on age, gender, socioeconomic status, health status, regions, and time. Scientific and clinical knowledge must be continually updated so that our practices remain as effective as possible and in line with the experiences of those who suffer.
The National Suicide Prevention Strategy 2022-2026, Rekindle hopeproudly presented by the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, at the National Suicide Prevention Congress co-organized by CRISE in Montreal in the spring of 2022, brought a breath of optimism to the Quebec suicide prevention community. Community networks, as well as those in health and social services, were carried by renewed energy. CRISE was also ready to answer the call, to continue its hard work to produce relevant knowledge with its partners in practice settings.
Rekindle our hope
Unfortunately, since spring 2024, no research network dedicated to suicide prevention has been funded by a Quebec provincial funding body.
However, measure 4.1 of the National Strategy directly targets support for research projects that will develop new knowledge or adapt promising practices. With a probable goal of efficiency, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) is increasingly relying on one-off research based on objectives formulated by its officials.
However, these one-off projects must be supported by strong collaborative networks. The 23 CRISE researchers have been working for over twenty years with a solid network of well-established partnerships on collaborative research projects. With the loss of our funding, this entire collaborative network is crumbling, as well as a place for reflection on the emerging needs of our most vulnerable populations. Independent suicide prevention research will fall behind schedule and will be difficult to catch up on.
Independence of research allows for interdisciplinary, flexible, proactive, innovative work to ensure that scientific knowledge is constantly adapted to the changing needs of our population. It is independent research that has demonstrated the impact of social inequalities on suicidal behavior and that has considered suicide prevention as a global strategy, which must go beyond mental health intervention.
In this period of major upheaval in the health and social services network, the CRISE research team would like to remind decision-makers, and in particular the Minister of the MSSS and the new President of the Santé Québec agency, of the importance of adequately funding Quebec university research networks dedicated to suicide prevention. Research networks such as CRISE make it possible to structure the development of knowledge with coherent programming, effectively supporting decision-makers and practitioners.
We are essential to a healthy ecosystem, with high-performing, passionate research teams capable of understanding suicide in all its complexity. To “thumb up” on the name of the national suicide prevention strategy: rekindle our hope! and fund research groups.