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

Integrated Care: "No Wrong Door" for Treatment

The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) has been a leader in supporting the principle of "no wrong door." This concept states that treatment providers across the healthcare delivery systems have a responsibility to address the range of client needs and supports a model of integrated care.

Treating people for underlying causes of suicide, including mental illnesses and substance abuse problems, serves to not only improve mental health but will help reduce suicide rates. ref

The National Treatment Improvement Evaluation Study surveyed more than 4,000 adults and adolescents being served by treatment units receiving government funds. The study found marked reductions in suicidality the year following substance abuse treatment compared to the year prior to treatment for adults, young adults, adolescents, and subgroups of abused and non-abused women.

The study found:

• Suicide attempts for the group as a whole declined about four-fifths for male and female clients.
• Of the adults aged 25 and over included in the study, only 4 percent reported suicide attempts during the year following treatment compared with 23 percent who reported suicide attempts the year prior to treatment.
• Only 4 percent of the 18- to 24-year-old young adults reported suicide attempts during the 12 months following treatment compared with 23 percent who had a suicide attempt the year before treatment.
• Adolescents 13 to 17 years of age showed declines from 23 to 7 percent in pre- and post-suicide attempts.
• In two groups of women, those who had reported sexual abuse and those who reported no prior sexual abuse, suicide attempts declined by about half in both groups and had fewer inpatient and outpatient mental health visits and less reported depression. ref