Abstract
To the Editor
Anthony Jorm’s (2019) pessimistic article on the non-impact of suicide prevention programs does not look at possible negative impacts that are too small to register in population data. The prosecuted belief that every suicide is a service failure spooks psychiatric staff who fear blame for a suicide will be laid at their door. The reflex attempt at control has added to an oppressiveness and a sense of hopelessness in now universally locked acute hospital units. It turns carers into wardens. Promoting security and demoting care and hope heightens the risk for already desperate inpatients and people most in need who avoid care.
This will go on until there is a balanced discussion and acknowledgment that the atmosphere of a service is important and good practice can include careful (and care-full) tolerance of risk.
Footnotes
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.
