Mental health and suicide prevention in sensory impairment populations

According to the World Health Organization, worldwide there are 2.2 billion people with vision impairment and it was projected that 700 million will have severe disabling hearing loss by 2050. There are also approximately 160 million people who suffer from Deafblindness. These numbers are projected to increase as the population ages. People with sensory impairment (PwSI) – hearing, visual, and/or dual - have a higher risk of mental health (MH) disorders, suicidal ideation, and past suicide attempts. Key to the effective management of mental illness is early identification and treatment to prevent long-term sequelae as well as the deleterious impact on quality of life. PwSI, however, face barriers in accessing healthcare services and information. Studies have also shown that low health literacy levels and negative attitudes and beliefs could impact the health-seeking behavior of PwSI. There is a reluctance to seek help for mental illnesses and suicide due to self-stigma and the stigmatizing attitudes of healthcare providers (HCPs). These factors are compounded in PwSI, however, there is a paucity of data available on prevalence rates, the health-seeking behavior of PwSI with suicidal ideation and MH issues, and the factors that impact it. Issues related to suicide specifically in this population are overlooked and more research is needed to explore the need for developing approaches in the healthcare system. There is also a lack of data on the challenges HCPs face in providing care or managing PwSI with MH issues and suicidal ideation. Having this information is crucial to develop an understanding of ‘what works’ which will enable effective interventions to be designed.

All topics focusing on issues related to suicide and/or the mental health of PwSI are welcome. The objective here is to build the body of evidence and provide baseline data to fill the current gaps in literature; as well as provide solutions on managing and/or preventing MH and suicidal ideation in this population, as well as increasing the help-seeking behavior of this group.

Potential topics of interest may include, but are not limited to:

• Studies focusing on the help-seeking behavior of PwSI with regard to suicide and MH – barriers, facilitators, challenges, outcomes, solutions, the impact of culture/religion, etc

• Educational/curricular development/initiatives to train healthcare students and/or HCPs on managing suicidal ideation and MH in PwSI

• Studies investigating the challenges HCPs face in managing PwSI with suicide ideation and/or MH issues

• Interventions/inventions to improve the medication journey of PwSI with regard to MH e.g. health apps, assistive technologies, health promotional videos

• Nonpharmacologic and pharmacological interventions to prevent suicide and reduce suicide behaviors/ideation in PwSI who are at risk

All article types are welcome.