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

Maine Suicide Prevention

The State of Maine has a comprehensive youth suicide prevention plan; The Maine Youth Suicide Prevention Program (MYSPP).

The MYSPP employs several strategies to reduce the incidence of suicide behavior among 10-24-year olds and to improve youth access to appropriate prevention and intervention services. Since it's development in 1997, the program has trained more than 10,000 gatekeepers, including school personnel, youth serving agency staff, substance abuse clinicians, mental health clinicians, and department of health services clinicians and many others; designed and distributed Web site and printed information, established a statewide crisis hotline, developed and disseminated videos, and implemented a comprehensive suicide prevention program in 12 school systems.

The program in Maine was designed to address the high rates of youth suicide in the predominately rural state:

• Maine has a suicide rate for 15- to 24-year-olds that is higher than the national average
• Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Maine youth in that age category

The Maine Youth Suicide Prevention Program developed Youth Suicide Prevention Intervention and Postvention Guidelines to help schools and school districts make sure they have protocols to address suicidal behavior and to respond appropriately to suicide threats and to those potentially at risk in the aftermath of a death by suicide. The guidelines call for schools to develop school-based suicide intervention plans. The goals of the intervention plans are to:

• Outline actions for responding to suicidal behavior
• Designate individuals for responding to a variety of crisis situations and communicate this information to school staff and students
• Identify sources for referral and contact, such as crisis service personnel, police and emergency medical service providers
• Create forms and procedures for documentation
• Outline follow-up steps for school personnel to take after an intervention with students ref

For more information contact the Maine Injury Prevention Program, Division of Community and Family Health (1-207-287-5362).