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Suicide prevention is a term used for the collective efforts to reduce the incidence of suicide through preventive measures. These measures can include direct interventions to prevent suicidal thoughts and behaviors, as well as indirect interventions to improve mental health and reduce risk factors associated with suicide.

Overview

Suicide is a serious public health problem that can have lasting harmful effects on individuals, families, and communities. While its causes are complex and determined by multiple factors, the goal of suicide prevention is to reduce factors that increase risk and increase factors that promote resilience. Ideally, prevention addresses all levels of influence: individual, relationship, community, and societal.

Strategies

Effective suicide prevention strategies need to incorporate multiple components, including strategies that address both risk factors and protective factors. They must also address all aspects of the problem, including the individual, the family, the community, and society at large.

Individual Strategies

Individual strategies for suicide prevention include psychotherapy, medication, and self-care. Psychotherapy can help individuals learn new ways of dealing with stress and improve their ability to solve problems, communicate effectively, and handle crises. Medication can be used to treat underlying mental health conditions that may contribute to suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Community Strategies

Community strategies for suicide prevention include education and awareness programs, crisis intervention services, and support groups. Education and awareness programs can help to reduce stigma and increase understanding of suicide and mental health. Crisis intervention services provide immediate help to individuals in crisis, while support groups provide ongoing support and connection for individuals who are struggling with suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Risk Factors

Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, particularly mood disorders, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders and certain personality disorders. Other risk factors include previous suicide attempts, family history of suicide, history of child maltreatment, feelings of hopelessness, isolation, barriers to accessing mental health treatment, loss (relational, social, work, or financial), physical illness, and easy access to lethal means.

Protective Factors

Protective factors for suicide include effective clinical care for mental, physical, and substance use disorders, easy access to a variety of clinical interventions and support for help seeking, family and community support, skills in problem solving, conflict resolution, and nonviolent handling of disputes, and cultural and religious beliefs that discourage suicide and support self-preservation.

See Also

• Mental Health
• Psychotherapy
• Support Groups

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