NCJ Number
244431
Editor(s)
S.K. Goldsmith,
T.C. Pellmar,
A.M. Kleinman,
W.E. Bunney
Date Published
2002
Length
512 pages
Annotation
After reviewing the alarming prevalence of suicide in the United States, this book proposes a national strategy for addressing it.
Abstract
Annually there are approximately 30,000 suicides in the United States, and approximately 650,000 people are treated in emergency rooms after attempting suicide. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among American youths and is among the top 12 for Americans of all ages. After providing data on the magnitude of the problem, this book reviews the psychiatric and psychological factors underlying suicides and suicide attempts. It notes that in the United States, just over 90 percent of suicides are associated with mental illness, including alcohol and substance-use disorders. Many of these disorders can be traced to biological changes. There are also other biological factors underlying suicide, including predisposing personality traits such as aggression and impulsivity, gender, and age. Other chapters discuss childhood trauma, social conditions, and culture as factors in the prevalence of suicide. Chapters that pertain to public health responses to suicide address medical and psychotherapeutic interventions, suicide prevention programs, barriers to effective treatment and intervention responses, and barriers to research and promising approaches. Some general recommendations proposed are to build an appropriate infrastructure; conduct needed research on the causes and recognition of suicidal behavior and effective interventions to prevent it; and improve the ability of professionals and the general public to recognize suicide risk and intervene effectively. Appended statistical detail and workshop agendas