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

Additional Screening

Physicians have also developed training specific to suicide assessment to allow general practitioners to detect this problem, although none of these tools are meant to be mutually exclusive.ref, ref The SAD PERSONS scale (below) provides a mnemonic instrument to help physicians and other healthcare workers determine the presence of risk factors in order to assess for suicide risk. ref

Mental health professionals may have more training than others in addressing suicidal behaviors. But not all counselors and other professionals may be aware of the link between substance abuse and suicide.

Advice to the Counselor suggests steps to take when counseling a client who is suicidal to make sure the client remains safe.