CONTENTS

About This Course

Table of Contents

1. The Nature and Scope of Suicide
2. Recognizing the Progressive Development of Suicide
3. Substance Abuse as a Major Contributor to Suicide
4. Suicide Across the Life Span
5. Special Populations and Suicide Risk
6. Prevention and Early Intervention for Suicide and Substance Abuse Problems

Supplements
References
Resources

Holding the Lifeline
A Guide to Suicide Prevention

Suicide Across the Life Span

This course pays particular attention to how mental health professionals, prevention specialists, and others can identify the warning signs of suicide within individuals and to prevent problems from occurring within groups.

For professionals in prevention and treatment, it is important to learn the connections linking mental illness, substance abuse, and suicide. Of all the mental illnesses, depression is the most common disorder. ref

Suicide and substance abuse frequently have a mutually-reinforcing relationship. For a complex set of reasons that vary from person-to-person, suicidal behaviors may worsen substance abuse and substance abuse may intensify suicidal feelings and behaviors.

Modules 2, 3, and 4 discuss different dimensions of this vicious cycle by:

• Describing the progressive development of suicide along a continuum of increasing risks
• Focusing on substance abuse as a major contributor to suicide
• Viewing suicide risks developmentally through the life span