My last two posts focused on means restriction–the aim of preventing suicide by reducing a person’s access to a quick and lethal suicide method. The Golden Gate Bridge Physical Suicide Deterrent Project has been a highly publicized (and controversial) state effort to determine out the best way to balance the imperative of saving lives by erecting a physical barrier on the bridge and the desire to protect the beauty and touristic appeal of this national landmark. On October 10, Board of Directors voted to pursue the construction of an steel net that would extend 20 feet on either side of the bridge. Today I came across a post at PsychCentral by Dr. J
Other related post(s): Reminder from the bridge: Suicidal individuals are full of ambivalence
Are they going to do this on every bridge that has a walking path?
Marion P: It is unlikely that this will be done on every bridge, but more and more bridges do have barriers of some kind. From what I understand some bridges seem to attract more suicides than others, and these would obviously be the most important to protect. Thanks for your question.
Is this really going to work?? People who want to take their lives will do it some other way. I think it could be a waste of time and money.
Therapy: Good question, and a common concern. Surprisingly, investigations about restricting means have consistently demonstrated that placing barriers on bridges and other means restriction strategies do not result in means substitution (person taking their lives by another means). It is counter-intuitive perhaps, but true. I’d direct you to the NY Times article I linked to a few weeks ago for further discussion of this: http://tinyurl.com/5cxr3z
For clinicians the implications are profound. First, it means that we need to understand that, for a substantial proportion of people, suicidal crisis are transitory. They peak and then diminish. If we can help people hold on while at that peak, many will survive (and potentially thrive). Even for those who struggle with suicidal desires for many years, the desires will wax and wane and we need to be sensitive to that. Second, it demonstrates the ambivalence that is present in almost every case–including among those who make potentially lethal attempts. Kevin Hines (http://tinyurl.com/6evs3l) (and many other bridge jump survivors) have testified that the moment after taking a step off the bridge they thought “I don’t want to die.” Surprising for many people to learn that–was for me too. But the bottom line is that most people who are suicidal don’t want to die, they just don’t want to go on suffering. Thanks for your comment about this important issue.