Suicide: Prevention Strategies

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 simple: Reduce factors that increase risk (i.e. risk factors) and increase factors that promote resilience (i.e. protective factors). Ideally, prevention addresses all levels of  influence: individual, relationship, community, and societal. Effective prevention strategies are needed to promote awareness of suicide and encourage a commitment to social change.

Strategic Planning for Prevention

• Strategic Direction for the Prevention of Suicidal Behavior: Promoting Individual, Family, and Community Connectedness to Prevent Suicidal Behavior [PDF 507 KB] (2008).
  This document describes a five-year vision for the CDC’s work to prevent fatal and nonfatal suicidal behavior. Our key strategy is promoting individual, family, and community connectedness.

• National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (Department of Health and Human Services)
  The National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (NSSP) is the first attempt in the United States to prevent suicide through a systematic approach. It lays out a framework for developing an array of suicide prevention services and programs. The NSSP emphasizes coordination of resources and delivering culturally appropriate services at all levels of a public- private partnership.

Effective and Promising Programs

• Suicide Prevention Resource Center
  The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC), in collaboration with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), maintains the Best Practices Registry (BPR). This project, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), identifies, reviews, and disseminates information about best practices that address specific objectives of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. The BPR has three sections. Section I: Evidence-Based Programs, includes both programs rigorously evaluated and reviewed by SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices and by SPRC and AFSP. Section II: Expert and Consensus Statements makes recommendations and provides guidance for best practices without the same level of evaluation as Section I; and, finally Section III: Adherence to Standards, provides a variety of materials, protocols, and policies addressing specific objectives found in the NSSP.
  
  
• Systematic Reviews of Preventive Interventions
• Comtois KA, Linehan MM. Psychosocial treatments of suicidal behaviors: a practice-friendly review. J Clin Psychol. 2006 Feb;62(2):161-70.
• Conwell Y, Thompson C. Suicidal behavior in elders. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2008 Jun;31(2):333-56.
• Daniel SS, Goldston DB. Interventions for suicidal youth: a review of the literature and developmental considerations. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2009. Jun;39(3):252-68.
• Gaynes BN, West SL, Ford CA, Frame P, Klein J, Lohr KN; U.S. Preventive evidence for Screening for suicide risk in adults: A summary of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Ann Intern Med. 2004 May 18;140(10):822-35.
• Goldsmith SK, Pellmar TC, Kleinman AM, Bunney WE, Eds. Reducing Suicide: A National Imperative. Washington DC: National Academy Press; 2002. Available on-line at http://www.nap.edu/books/0309083214/html/.
• Gould MS, Greenberg T, Velting DM & Shaffer D. Youth suicide risk and preventive interventions: A review of the past 10 years. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2003; 42:386-405.
• Hawton K, Townsend E, Arensman E, Gunnell D, Hazell P,House A, et al. Psychosocial and pharmacological treatments for deliberate self harm. The Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2000;(2):CD001764.
• Knox, KL. Interventions to prevent suicidal behavior. In: Doll L, Bonzo S, Sleet D, Mercy J, Hass E, eds. Handbook of injury and violence prevention. New York, NY: Springer; 2007. p.183-201.
• Mann JJ, Apter A, Bertolote J, et al. Suicide prevention strategies: a systematic review. Journal of the American Medical Association 2005;294;2064-74.
• World Report on Violence and Health [PDF 239KB]
  This report is the first comprehensive review of violence on a global scale. Chapter 7 provides detailed information on self-directed violence, including prevention strategies.

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Guidelines and Planning Tools

• National Strategy for Suicide Prevention/Department of Health and Human Services
  The National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (NSSP) is the first attempt in the United States to prevent suicide through a systematic approach. It lays out a framework for developing an array of suicide prevention services and programs. The NSSP emphasizes coordination of resources and the application of culturally appropriate services at all levels of government and in the private sector.

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Other Resources

• CDC's Extramural Research Program
  CDC funds universities, medical centers and other outside organizations to conduct research related to suicide prevention.
• Preventing Suicide: Program Activities Guide
  This guide describes CDC's public health activities and research to prevent suicide.

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