Recent estimates by The World Health Organisation and The World Bank indicate that throughout the world each and every year more than 800,000 persons die as a consequence of suicide. This means that the death toll of suicide equals and in many countries even exceeds that of road traffic accidents. In addition to the number of suicidal deaths, at least ten times as many persons make non-fatal attempts to take their lives or harm themselves, often seriously enough to require medical attention and not infrequently resulting in irreversible disability. But still these figures inadequately describe the magnitude of human loss and suffering caused by suicide. If one assumes that for every suicidal death there are at least five persons whose lives are profoundly and often for many years affected by the event -emotionally, socially and economically-, by the event, then each year millions of survivor-victims are added to the tens of millions already 'out there'. Hence, suicide is an ever-recurring catastrophe of the first degree. It is not a phenomenon that first and foremost forms a dubious privilege of the so-called highly developed countries. Suicide also occurs in the developing countries and there is more than suggestive evidence that in several of these countries the suicide rate equals or even surpasses the highest national rates shown by offical statistics. It follows that suicide is an extremely important public health problem. It is, however, a problem that is painfully neglected. Throughout the world, resources devoted to the prevention of suicide are only a tiny fraction of those devoted to the prevention of comparable problems, such as road traffic accidents, or to problems of lesser magnitude, at least in the industrialized countries, such as HIV-infection and Aids. This volume, produced under the supervision and auspices of the World Health Organization, brings together for the first time information on epidemiological, clinical and preventive intervention aspects regarding suicide that have global significance and applicability. After a detailed description of the epidemiology of suicide and suicidal behaviour on an international scale, a large part of the book is devoted to the 'how-to's' of developing and organizing suicide prevention programs and services in different national and cultural settings, both at clinical and community level. In addition, a wealth of practical information for health care workers and volunteers is provided on how to evaluate and deal with acute suicide risk. Examples of successful preventive intervention programs and projects, from the developed as well as the developing world, are provided. Legal and ethical problems involved in suicide prevention are also discussed. Finally, both cultural and biological aspects of suicidal behaviour, as well as their clinical-practice relevance, are examined.

Written by front line professionals in the fields of nursing, mental health, prison services and the law, this text is an essential companion to the government's new suicide prevention strategy. The contributors offer a wealth of practical guidance on issues such as risk assessment and management in a range of settings, policy and the legal framework around suicide. Exploring the links between self-harm and suicide, the authors present international approaches to training in suicide prevention for professionals and preventative initiatives targeting wider communities. They debate the legality and morality of assisted self-harm and analyse the rate and causes of suicide among specific groups, including Black and minority ethnic groups, people in custody and people with mental illnesses. This manual provides health, social care and criminal justice professionals with all the most up-to-date information needed to make a positive contribution to suicide prevention in institutional and community settings.

Suicide exacts an enormous toll from the American people. Our Nation loses 30,000 lives to this tragedy each year, another 650,000 receive emergency care after attempting to take their own lives. The devastating trauma, loss, and suffering is multiplied in the lives of family members and friends. This document, National Strategy for Suicide Prevention – Goals and Objectives for Action, lays the foundation of our Nation's strategy to confront this serious public health problem. At this document's source are countless dedicated individuals representing every facet of our Nation's communities. They include representatives to a 1993 United Nations/World Health Organization Conference who played key roles in establishing guidelines for national suicide prevention strategies. They include the passionate grassroots activists whose work stimulated Congressional Resolutions declaring suicide prevention a national priority and calling for our own national strategy. They include dedicated public servants and private individuals who jointly organized and participated in the first National Suicide Prevention Conference in 1998 to consolidate a scientific base for this critical endeavor. These people and their efforts led directly to publication of the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent Suicide - 1999 with its most important recommendation, the completion of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. After listening to the concerns of the American people, Government leaders helped bring stakeholders together in a shining example of public- private collaboration to achieve this major milestone in public health. Those who have invested their hearts and minds in this effort believe it effectively points the way for organizations and individuals to curtail the tragedy of suicide and suicidal behavior. Though it does not specify all the details, it provides essential guidance and suggests the fundamental activities that must follow–activities based on the best available science. Nearly half of the States are engaged in suicide prevention and many have already committed significant resources to implement programs. Their leadership in evaluating the effectiveness of these programs will help guide the efforts of States that follow in their paths. Most of these plans recognize that much of the work of suicide prevention must occur at the community level, where human relationships breathe life into public policy. American communities are also home to scores of faith-based and secular initiatives that help reduce risk factors and promote protective factors associated with many of our most pressing social problems, including suicide. As you read further, keep in mind that the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention is not the Surgeon General's strategy or the Federal government's strategy; rather, it is the strategy of the American people for improving their health and well-being through the prevention of suicide.

"The National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (National Strategy or NSSP) is designed to be a catalyst for social change with the power to transform attitudes, policies, and services. Representing the combined work of advocates, clinicians, researchers and survivors, the National Strategy lays out a framework for action and guides development of an array of services and programs yet to be set in motion. It strives to promote and provide direction to efforts to modify the social infrastructure in ways that will affect the most basic attitudes about suicide and its prevention, and that will also change judicial, educational, and health care systems."--Excerpt from book viewed on pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov June 29, 2022.

To support U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) efforts to create a strategic plan for suicide prevention research, a RAND study examined the current research, DoD's strategic needs, and ways to narrow the research-practice gap in disseminating findings.

An unprecedented insight into the approach used by the innovative Suicide Crisis charity, a crisis centre that has so far achieved a zero suicide rate amongst their clients. This book explains their ethos, how they work and the ways in which their services operate. The idea for the service grew out of the author's own lived experience of suicidal crisis, and her inability to find the right kind of help. This experience provides an understanding and awareness of what suicidal clients go through and the kind of help they require, and the success rate of the charity proves that the techniques used are effective. Covering relationship-building, providing intensive support, achieving a balance between protecting clients and giving them control, engaging high-risk men least likely to seek help, assessing risk accurately and more, this groundbreaking approach provides what is needed to save lives of people in suicidal crisis.

The International Handbook of Suicide Prevention, 2nd Edition, presents a series of readings that consider the individual and societal factors that lead to suicide, it addresses ways these factors may be mitigated, and presents the most up-to-date evidence for effective suicide prevention approaches. An updated reference that shows why effective suicide prevention can only be achieved by understanding the many reasons why people choose to end their lives Gathers together contributions from more than 100 of the world’s leading authorities on suicidal behavior—many of them new to this edition Considers suicide from epidemiological, psychological, clinical, sociological, and neurobiological perspectives, providing a holistic understanding of the subject Describes the most up-to-date, evidence-based research and practice from across the globe, and explores its implications across countries, cultures, and the lifespan

In the latest edition of School Crisis Prevention & Intervention, Mary Margaret Kerr, a nationally recognized expert in school crisis response and a leading urban educator, along with new coauthor, Garry King, a specialist in youth welfare, synthesizes and assembles the best current practices of law enforcement, threat assessment, psychology, and communications in a single, streamlined volume. Such a valuable guide prepares school personnel, including counselors and administrators, with the requisite skills at all crisis stages—from preparation and prevention to intervention and recovery. Dozens of actual cases illustrate key concepts and procedures, while allowing readers to assess their preparedness. Helpful forms and checklists can be used to set priorities and ensure accountability. Interactive features inspire critical reflection and aid in developing problem-solving skills. Outstanding features include . . . • Latest federal guidelines and policies dealing with all phases of crises • Comprehensive agenda for initial crisis team training • Practical and sensitive methods to facilitate recovery and provide support • Recommendations for collaborating with community-based emergency response services • Proficient ways to communicate with staff, students, parents, community, and media

This inspiring resource presents theories, findings, and interventions from Positive Suicidology, an emerging strengths-based approach to suicide prevention. Its synthesis of positive psychology and suicidology theories offers a science-based framework for promoting wellbeing to complement or, if appropriate, replace traditional deficit-driven theories and therapies used in reducing suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Coverage reviews interpersonal, intrapersonal, and societal risk factors for suicide, and identifies protective factors, such as hope and resilience, that can be enhanced in therapy. From there, chapters detail a palette of approaches and applications of Positive Suicidology, from the powerful motivating forces described in Self-Determination Theory to meaning-building physical and social activities. Among the topics covered: Future-oriented constructs and their role in suicidal ideation and enactment. Gratitude as a protective factor for suicidal ideation and behavior: theory and evidence. Considering race and ethnicity in the use of positive psychological approaches to suicide. The Six R’s framework as mindfulness for suicide prevention. Community-based participatory research and empowerment for suicide prevention. Applied resiliency and suicide prevention: a strengths-based, risk-reduction framework. Psychotherapists, counselors, social workers, psychiatrists, and health psychologists, as well as educators, clergy and healthcare professionals, will find A Positive Psychological Approach to Suicide an invaluable source of contemporary evidence-based strategies for their prevention and intervention efforts with suicidal clients.