scispace - formally typeset
Journal ArticleDOI

Suicide prevention strategies: a systematic review.

TLDR
Physician education in depression recognition and treatment and restricting access to lethal methods reduce suicide rates, and other interventions need more evidence of efficacy.
Abstract
ContextIn 2002, an estimated 877 000 lives were lost worldwide through suicide. Some developed nations have implemented national suicide prevention plans. Although these plans generally propose multiple interventions, their effectiveness is rarely evaluated.ObjectivesTo examine evidence for the effectiveness of specific suicide-preventive interventions and to make recommendations for future prevention programs and research.Data Sources and Study SelectionRelevant publications were identified via electronic searches of MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, and PsychINFO databases using multiple search terms related to suicide prevention. Studies, published between 1966 and June 2005, included those that evaluated preventative interventions in major domains; education and awareness for the general public and for professionals; screening tools for at-risk individuals; treatment of psychiatric disorders; restricting access to lethal means; and responsible media reporting of suicide.Data ExtractionData were extracted on primary outcomes of interest: suicidal behavior (completion, attempt, ideation), intermediary or secondary outcomes (treatment seeking, identification of at-risk individuals, antidepressant prescription/use rates, referrals), or both. Experts from 15 countries reviewed all studies. Included articles were those that reported on completed and attempted suicide and suicidal ideation; or, where applicable, intermediate outcomes, including help-seeking behavior, identification of at-risk individuals, entry into treatment, and antidepressant prescription rates. We included 3 major types of studies for which the research question was clearly defined: systematic reviews and meta-analyses (n = 10); quantitative studies, either randomized controlled trials (n = 18) or cohort studies (n = 24); and ecological, or population- based studies (n = 41). Heterogeneity of study populations and methodology did not permit formal meta-analysis; thus, a narrative synthesis is presented.Data SynthesisEducation of physicians and restricting access to lethal means were found to prevent suicide. Other methods including public education, screening programs, and media education need more testing.ConclusionsPhysician education in depression recognition and treatment and restricting access to lethal methods reduce suicide rates. Other interventions need more evidence of efficacy. Ascertaining which components of suicide prevention programs are effective in reducing rates of suicide and suicide attempt is essential in order to optimize use of limited resources.

read more

Citations
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI

Self-harm throughout all life cycles: profile of victims using urgent and emergency care services in Brazilian state capitals.

TL;DR: The results showed that almost 10% of the surveyed cases that were treated by emergency medical services in relation to violence were due to self-inflicted injuries: of particular note were the cases involving females and adults.
Journal ArticleDOI

Characteristics of U.S. suicide decedents in 2005-2010 who had received mental health treatment.

TL;DR: For nearly a third of all suicide decedents, better mental health care might have prevented death, and efforts to reduce access to lethal doses of prescription medications seem warranted to prevent overdosing with commonly prescribed substances.
Journal ArticleDOI

The Role of Stigma and Denormalization in Suicide-Prevention Laws in East Asia: A Sociocultural, Historical, and Ethical Perspective.

TL;DR: The term weak denormalization is proposed to refer to an ethically permissible strategy at the mildest end of a spectrum of denormalizing approaches, and diametrically opposed to outright stigmatization, which is generally considered ethically impermissible.
Journal ArticleDOI

Intentional injury mortality in the European Union: how many more lives could be saved?

TL;DR: Many lives lost through injury might be saved if all countries were to achieve the lowest intentional injury mortality rates reported in the EU.
References
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI

Collaborative management to achieve treatment guidelines : impact on depression in primary care

TL;DR: A multifaceted intervention consisting of collaborative management by the primary care physician and a consulting psychiatrist, intensive patient education, and surveillance of continued refills of antidepressant medication improved adherence to antidepressant regimens in patients with major and with minor depression and resulted in more favorable depressive outcomes.
Journal ArticleDOI

Contact with mental health and primary care providers before suicide: A review of the evidence

TL;DR: Alternative approaches to suicide-prevention efforts may be needed for those less likely to be seen in primary care or mental health specialty care, specifically young men.
Journal ArticleDOI

A Hundred Cases of Suicide: Clinical Aspects

TL;DR: Two recent American studies have shown more than 90 per cent of suicides to be mentally ill before their death, and the familiar clinical observation that suicidal thoughts disappear when the illness is successfully treated provide a strong case for a medical policy of prevention.
Journal ArticleDOI

Psychiatric Diagnosis in Child and Adolescent Suicide

TL;DR: A limited range of diagnoses--most commonly a mood disorder alone or in combination with conduct disorder and/or substance abuse--characterizes most suicides among teenagers.
Journal ArticleDOI

Youth suicide risk and preventive interventions: A review of the past 10 years.

TL;DR: While tremendous strides have been made in understanding of who is at risk for suicide, it is incumbent upon future research efforts to focus on the development and evaluation of empirically based suicide prevention and treatment protocols.
Related Papers (5)