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

Communicating About Suicide

Experts stress that discussing suicidal ideation does not increase the likelihood of a suicide attempt. ref

In cases where a suicide attempt has been made, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has produced a guide for medical professionals in the emergency department to help patients and their families after a suicide attempt. (NAMI offers companion guides to help individuals recover from a suicide attempt and to help families after an attempt by a relative.) ref

NAMI notes that the emergency department is the "frontline of medicine and often serves as the doorway into the medical system for people in distress, including people who attempt suicide."

Emergency room workers are, therefore, in a unique position to help set people on the road to recovery.