Suicide Prevention

Overview

Journal Am J Lifestyle Med

Publisher Sage Publications

Date 2018 Sep 1

PMID 30166972

Citations 20

Authors

Deborah M Stone

Alex E Crosby

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Suicide is a public health problem affecting people across the lifespan. It is currently the 10th leading cause of death, with rates having remained relatively flat for the past century. This article summarizes the problem of suicide and suicidal behavior along with suicide prevention efforts in the United States. Part 1 provides an overview of the epidemiology of suicide, including groups most at risk of suicide and suicidal behavior. Part 2 provides a review of common risk factors, organized by developmental life stage. A brief discussion of the lesser well-researched area of protective factors follows. Part 3 provides an overview of suicide prevention today, including the major types of prevention strategies, their successes, including means restriction, quality improvement in behavioral services, and comprehensive programs; and limitations to date, such as a lack of evidence for impact on actual deaths or behavior, small sample sizes, and low base rates. Finally, part 4 discusses challenges and future directions with an eye toward the great many opportunities that exist for prevention.

Citing Articles

Social Determinants of Suicide and Suicidality in Serving Military Personnel: A Global Scoping Review.

Dawes N, Topp S, Fullagar B, Selman J, Pak A, Devine S Health Promot J Austr. 2025; 36(2):e70030.

PMID: 40059091 PMC: 11891116. DOI: 10.1002/hpja.70030.

Collaborative strategies for adolescent suicide prevention: insights from Slovakia and Kyrgyzstan.

Salimova L, Rusnakova M Discov Ment Health. 2024; 4(1):45.

PMID: 39390204 PMC: 11467136. DOI: 10.1007/s44192-024-00102-4.

Suicide Literacy and Attitudes Toward Seeking Psychological Help among Medical Residents.

Jahanbakhsh F, Raaii F, Mohammadi A, Aminaie M, Shamspour M Arch Iran Med. 2024; 27(7):385-391.

PMID: 39072387 PMC: 11316188. DOI: 10.34172/aim.28839.

Association Between History of Psychiatric Disorder and Degree of Physical Injury Among Suicide Attempters: Secondary Data Analysis in a Japanese Rural Area.

Tanji F, Miyamoto S, Iwasawa A, Ohta H, Ono K J Prim Care Community Health. 2023; 14:21501319231212317.

PMID: 37981733 PMC: 10658764. DOI: 10.1177/21501319231212317.

Factors associated with suicide in people who use drugs: a scoping review.

Devin J, Lyons S, Murphy L, OSullivan M, Lynn E BMC Psychiatry. 2023; 23(1):655.

PMID: 37670233 PMC: 10478413. DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-05131-x.

References

Van Orden K, Stone D, Rowe J, McIntosh W, Podgorski C, Conwell Y . The Senior Connection: design and rationale of a randomized trial of peer companionship to reduce suicide risk in later life. Contemp Clin Trials. 2013; 35(1):117-26. PMC: 3684619. DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2013.03.003. View

Bet P, Hugtenburg J, Penninx B, van Balkom A, Nolen W, Hoogendijk W . Treatment inadequacy in primary and specialized care patients with depressive and/or anxiety disorders. Psychiatry Res. 2013; 210(2):594-600. DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2013.06.023. View

Thompson E, Eggert L . Using the suicide risk screen to identify suicidal adolescents among potential high school dropouts. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1999; 38(12):1506-14. DOI: 10.1097/00004583-199912000-00011. View

Hinton L, Zweifach M, Oishi S, Tang L, Unutzer J . Gender disparities in the treatment of late-life depression: qualitative and quantitative findings from the IMPACT trial. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2006; 14(10):884-92. DOI: 10.1097/01.JGP.0000219282.32915.a4. View

Schoenbaum M, Kessler R, Gilman S, Colpe L, Heeringa S, Stein M . Predictors of suicide and accident death in the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS): results from the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS). JAMA Psychiatry. 2014; 71(5):493-503. PMC: 4124912. DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.4417. View

Wilcox H, Kellam S, Brown C, Poduska J, Ialongo N, Wang W . The impact of two universal randomized first- and second-grade classroom interventions on young adult suicide ideation and attempts. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2008; 95 Suppl 1:S60-73. PMC: 2637412. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2008.01.005. View

Hawton K, Appleby L, Platt S, Foster T, Cooper J, Malmberg A . The psychological autopsy approach to studying suicide: a review of methodological issues. J Affect Disord. 1998; 50(2-3):269-76. DOI: 10.1016/s0165-0327(98)00033-0. View

Motto J, Bostrom A . A randomized controlled trial of postcrisis suicide prevention. Psychiatr Serv. 2001; 52(6):828-33. DOI: 10.1176/appi.ps.52.6.828. View

Gibbons R, Mann J . Strategies for quantifying the relationship between medications and suicidal behaviour: what has been learned?. Drug Saf. 2011; 34(5):375-95. DOI: 10.2165/11589350-000000000-00000. View

10.

Eggert L, Thompson E, Herting J, Nicholas L . Reducing suicide potential among high-risk youth: tests of a school-based prevention program. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 1995; 25(2):276-96. View

11.

Charles S, Carstensen L . Social and emotional aging. Annu Rev Psychol. 2009; 61:383-409. PMC: 3950961. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.psych.093008.100448. View

12.

Hawton K, Bergen H, Simkin S, Wells C, Kapur N, Gunnell D . Six-year follow-up of impact of co-proxamol withdrawal in England and Wales on prescribing and deaths: time-series study. PLoS Med. 2012; 9(5):e1001213. PMC: 3348153. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001213. View

13.

Lester D, Abe K . The effect of restricting access to lethal methods for suicide: a study of suicide by domestic gas in Japan. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1989; 80(2):180-2. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1989.tb01324.x. View

14.

Van Orden K, Witte T, Cukrowicz K, Braithwaite S, Selby E, Joiner Jr T . The interpersonal theory of suicide. Psychol Rev. 2010; 117(2):575-600. PMC: 3130348. DOI: 10.1037/a0018697. View

15.

Burton C, Marshal M, Chisolm D, Sucato G, Friedman M . Sexual minority-related victimization as a mediator of mental health disparities in sexual minority youth: a longitudinal analysis. J Youth Adolesc. 2013; 42(3):394-402. PMC: 3570607. DOI: 10.1007/s10964-012-9901-5. View

16.

Gould M, Marrocco F, Kleinman M, Thomas J, Mostkoff K, Cote J . Evaluating iatrogenic risk of youth suicide screening programs: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2005; 293(13):1635-43. DOI: 10.1001/jama.293.13.1635. View

17.

Cox G, Robinson J, Williamson M, Lockley A, Cheung Y, Pirkis J . Suicide clusters in young people: evidence for the effectiveness of postvention strategies. Crisis. 2012; 33(4):208-14. DOI: 10.1027/0227-5910/a000144. View

18.

Goldney R, Fisher L, Wilson D, Cheok F . Mental health literacy of those with major depression and suicidal ideation: an impediment to help seeking. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2002; 32(4):394-403. DOI: 10.1521/suli.32.4.394.22343. View

19.

. Nonfatal self-inflicted injuries among adults aged > or = 65 years--United States, 2005. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2007; 56(38):989-93. View

20.

Bertolote J, Fleischmann A, De Leo D, Phillips M, Botega N, Vijayakumar L . Repetition of suicide attempts: data from emergency care settings in five culturally different low- and middle-income countries participating in the WHO SUPRE-MISS Study. Crisis. 2010; 31(4):194-201. DOI: 10.1027/0027-5910/a000052. View