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

Prevention Strategies

Transforming the mental health system and practices to improve treatment for individuals is only the first step. Prevention activities addressed to diverse audiences must be conducted in tangent in order to improve the ability to identify those at risk of suicide, enlighten the public about suicidal behaviors and risks, and enhance conditions for promoting resiliency and mental health.

Individuals, communities, organizations, and governments at all levels are taking steps to reduce suicides using a range of prevention techniques. Many involve multiple strategies. Research and evaluation are ongoing. To stay abreast, professionals should review SAMHSA, Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) www.sprc.org, and other Web sites for the new advancements and findings.

To become informed of the latest developments in SAMHSA regarding suicide prevention, as well as mental health and substance abuse prevention-related information, there is SAMHSA's Information Mailing System (SIMS) at http://sims.health.org. SAMHSA also has a Grant Opportunity Web Page at www.samhsa.gov/grants.

The National Mental Health Information Center provides links to publications, news releases, mental health FAQs, a mental health services locator, calendar of events, and other relevant information on mental health topics.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) focuses on mental health disorders overall in a research and clinically-based environment. The Web site includes specific articles and links pertaining to suicide prevention.

MedlinePlus is a National Library of Medicine health information research tool, which provides articles that are both consumer-oriented and scholarly.

Specific prevention strategies and programs are described below. This is just a sampling of the efforts and types of strategies undertaken by communities across the country.