The problem of the spread of suicides is one of those that require significant measures and serious attention. Unlike various diseases, the situation cannot be corrected in the case of a successful suicide attempt. It is necessary to develop multiple methods to prevent such issues. Besides, it is essential to create a situation assessment system that will analyze such cases. Act codenamed H.R. 4861 aims to correct and improve the situation related to the spread of suicides.
Considered in the 116th session of Congress, this legislation was first introduced a year ago on 10/28/2019. This document is an amendment to the already existing Public Health Service Act and is intended to expand the scope of care for future and current victims of suicide attempts (“H.R. 4861,” 2019). This issue is extremely relevant and has been raised more than once, both at the state and in various studies. This problem is especially prevalent among young people, and most of those who attempted suicide received help from the health authorities (Brahmbhatt et al., 2018). These facts show the need to change the current health care system in this area since it is not sufficient.
The lack of effectiveness is due to the complexity of the process of identifying potential suicides. To identify such inclinations, it is necessary to conduct an in-depth psychological analysis closer to art than science (Ryan and Oquendo, 2020). Thus, additional stimulation and development of this area are needed to provide better patient care. The proposed Act aims to do just that, as it initializes the grant system for emergency departments (“H.R.4861,” 2019). These grants will be awarded on a competitive basis and can be used both for advanced training of specialists and for the purchase of additional materials. This approach allows stimulating medical institutions to actively provide better quality services, thereby increasing the number of lives saved and systematically improving work quality.
Thus, the spread of suicides has recently become particularly acute; therefore, close public attention is riveted on it. A new amendment to the Public Health Service Act, which has now passed the House of Representatives, can improve the quality of services provided through grant assistance and incentives for medical institutions. Although it does not help address the problem of suicide directly, this method allows, nevertheless, to draw people’s attention to this situation.
References
Brahmbhatt, K., Kurtz, B.P., Afzal, K.I., Giles, L.L., Kowal, E.D., Johnson, K.P., Lanzillo, E., Plioplys, S., Horowitz, L.M., &Workgroup, P. (2018). Suicide risk screening in pediatric hospitals: clinical pathways to address a global health crisis. Psychosomatics, 60(1), 1-9.
H.R.4861 – Effective Suicide Screening and Assessment in the Emergency Department Act of 2020 (2019). Web.
Ryan, E. P., & Oquendo, M. A. (2020). Suicide risk assessment and prevention: challenges and opportunities. Focus, 18(2), 88-99.