The Healthy People 2010 objectives relating to suicide were placed in Mental Health instead of Injury Prevention, thus separating self-inflicted violence from other violence-related objectives. Yet, injury prevention approaches, especially restricting access to lethal means of self-inflicted injury, are integral to any comprehensive suicide prevention strategy. Each year, over half (58% in 1997) of all suicides involve a firearm, and more than half of the recent increase in youth suicide is attributable to firearm suicide. Although the suicide objectives address lethal means restrictions, their placement in Mental Health reflects an emphasis on suicide as a problem of untreated mental illness. While it is true that the majority of people who die by suicide suffer from a mental disorder, it is also true that only a tiny fraction of people with mental disorders commit suicide. Furthermore, it is extremely difficult to predict which individuals will commit suicide. Therefore, an environmental approach, especially one that seeks to reduce access to firearms should save lives. Mental health professionals, family practitioners, trauma team members, school health workers, and community clinic workers are among the many important partners with whom those in injury prevention need to collaborate to reduce suicide. Many medical and mental health professionals know they should try to reduce access to lethal means, but they need the help of public health, law, law enforcement, community groups, and others, to collaborate in these efforts. Without collaboration, neither the general injury goal nor the suicide goal will be met.
Learning Objectives: N/A
Keywords: Suicide, Healthy People 2000/2010
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.