FACT SHEET 2 INJURY

What is it? Injury prevention Injury prevention aims to reduce harm and increase and safety for individuals, families and communities. There are two types of injury: intentional and unintentional.

UNINTENTIONAL INJURIES INCLUDE THOSE CAUSED BY:

• traffic collisions; • falls; • choking and suffocation; or • fires and burns. Who is at risk of intentional injury? INTENTIONAL INJURY INCLUDES: • self-harm; Anyone can be at risk of intentional injury. Here are • suicide; or some examples of high-risk groups: • domestic violence.

CHILDREN WHO SELF-HARM or indulging in substance abuse, often Intentional injuries fundamentally Children often harm themselves lead to intentional and unintentional differ from unintentional injuries, because of harms done to them. injury. Early intervention for youth because intentional injuries are The intention of their self-harming effectively reduces suicide rates, intended to cause harm, and are behaviours may not be to die by however youth receive the least mental directly linked to mental health issues. suicide, but if not treated by a mental health assistance of all age groups Self-harming is a way for people with health professional, can escalate (Standing Senate Committee on Social mental health concerns to ease their to suicidal behaviour (Centre for Affairs, Science and Technology, 2006). extreme psychological pain. , 2014). Getting vulnerable youth the medical

YOUTH WHO ENGAGE IN and psychological attention they need More people die by suicide than RISK-TAKING BEHAVIOUR should be a suicide prevention priority in motor vehicle collisions in many provinces: it’s often the leading Youth who harm themselves are at both nationally and provincially cause of injury death. greater risk for suicide and have (Kutcher, 2008). underlying mental health issues or YOUNG AND MIDDLE-AGED MEN In British Columbia (2011): are trying to escape overwhelming Generally, there is a reluctance by and negative emotions (Klonsky, et al., men to seek assistance for mental 2014). Risk-taking behaviours, such as health issues. Men who live with 526 promiscuity, driving while intoxicated, depression and do not seek help may motor vehicle be at increased risk for suicide. This is 292 deaths In 2010 injuries cost Canadians especially true if there are co-occuring disorders such as substance abuse. In (2010): Men will often mask their stress and $26.8 billion suicides/ cope with their depression through with suicide and self-harm self-harm accounting for harmful behaviours and actions 1175 (Ogrodniczuk, 2011). Men die by transport incident $2.9 billion suicide three times more often than deaths women (Statistics Canada, 2014). 735 Parachute, 2015 BC Ministry of Justice, 2010; Parachute, 2015 FACT SHEET 2 INJURY

Evidence-based strategies to prevent CASE STUDY intentional injuries in Canada Barriers

1. REDUCE ACCESS 2. TO PREVENT DEATH TO LETHAL EDUCATE MEANS BY FIREARM: • Use locked gun storage. • Restrict access TO PREVENT DEATH to firearms. Skills-training programs, BY HANGING: such as the Applied TO PREVENT DEATH BY • Redesign closet rods, CARBON MONOXIDE Suicide Intervention window fittings and POISONING: Skills Training (ASIST) furniture to reduce • Require all cars workshop, aim to equip Constructing physical barriers on ligature points. to have catalytic community members is a highly effective injury TO PREVENT DEATH converters. with the knowledge and suicide prevention initiative. BY DRUG POISONING: and skills to intervene In the face of opposition, the City of TO PREVENT DEATH erected bridge barriers on • Regulate dosages by BY JUMPING: with someone at risk reducing pack size of of suicide. the Bloor Viaduct. The construction • Post phone number potentially lethal pills. of this suicide barrier allowed the of the local distress • Dispose of unwanted second deadliest suicide bridge in centre on bridges and medications properly. North America to become virtually other high places. • Make ongoing free of suicides. Some theories • Construct bridge recommendations suggest that bridge barriers do not barriers (Institute to governments deter suicide and that people will for Health regarding the look for another means of suicide, Economics, 2010). classification and however, research has shown that access of medications after the installation of the Bloor by health professionals Viaduct barriers, the overall suicide and the public where rate in the city of Toronto decreased. concerns arise. READ MORE AT bit.ly/2tR5FPj Image courtesy of Paul Bica

RESOURCES: A SELECTION OF CANADIAN INJURY AND SUICIDE PREVENTION STRATEGIES FOR MORE INFORMATION, • Injury Control Strategy, 2003 bit.ly/2tNGFoz VISIT SUICIDEINFO.CA • Injury Free Manitoba: A Provincial Injury Prevention Strategy, 2006 bit.ly/2uZCckH • A Culture of Safety: NWT Injury Prevention Strategy: 2007-2012 Implementation Plan bit.ly/2tneRr7 • Nova Scotia’s Renewed Injury Prevention Strategy: Taking it to the Next Level, 2009 bit.ly/2urrkiv • Ontario’s Injury Prevention Strategy: Working Together for a Safer, Healthier Ontario, 2007 bit.ly/2vCRbkD

VIEW THE REFERENCE LIST ONLINE www.suicideinfo.ca/resource/injury-prevention-suicide/ FACT SHEET 2 INJURY

References ABOUT THE CENTRE FOR Canada, Parliament, Senate. Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and SUICIDE PREVENTION Technology. (2006). Out of the shadows at last: Transforming mental illness and addiction Anyone can learn to identify someone services in Canada. Retrieved from http://www.parl.gc.ca/content/sen/committee/391/ at risk of suicide and get them help. soci/rep/rep02may06-e.htm Call us. Centre for Suicide Prevention. (2014). The 5 things we wish all teachers knew about self- We are the Centre for Suicide Prevention. harm and suicide. (PowerPoint slides). Retrieved from https://www.suicideinfo.ca/wp- For 35+ years we’ve been equipping content/uploads/2014/11/Self_harm.pdf Canadians with knowledge and skills to respond to people at risk of suicide. We Institute for Health Economics. (2010). Means restriction for suicide prevention. can equip you too. We educate for life. Retrieved from http://www.ihe.ca/advanced-search/means-restriction-for-suicide- prevention ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSION OF CANADA Klonsky, E.D., Victor, S.E., & Saffer, B.Y. (2014). Nonsuicidal self-injury: What we The Mental Health Commission of Canada know, and what we need to know. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 59(11), 565-568. (MHCC) is a catalyst for improving the mental health system and changing the Kutcher, S., & Szumilas, M. (2008). Youth suicide prevention. Canadian Medical attitudes and behaviours of Canadians Association Journal, 178(3), 2. around mental health issues.

British Columbia Ministry of Justice. (2010). B.C. Coroners Service: 2010 Annual Report. ABOUT THE CANADIAN ASSOCIATION Retrieved from http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/birth-adoption-death-marriage-and- FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION divorce/deaths/coroners-service/reports/annual/2010.pdf The Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (CASP) was incorporated in Ogrodniczuk, J., & Oliffe, J. (2011). Men and depression.Canadian Family Physician, 1985 by a group of professionals who saw the 57(2), 153-155. need to provide information and resources Parachute. (2015). The Cost of Injury in Canada. Parachute: Toronto, ON. Retrieved from: to communities to reduce the suicide rate and minimize the harmful consequences http://www.parachutecanada.org/downloads/research/Cost_of_Injury-2015.pdf of suicidal behaviour. Statistics Canada. (2014). Suicides and suicide rate, by sex and by age group (Both sexes no.). If you are in crisis, call your Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/ local crisis line. hlth66a-eng.htm suicideprevention.ca/need-help

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT SUICIDEINFO.CA