Identifying best practices in suicide prevention

Suicide is a serious public and mental health problem in the United States. Over 30 thousand suicides occur in the U.S. each year. In 2005, suicide was the eighth-leading cause of death for men of all ages, the third leading cause of death for all 10- to 24-year-olds, and the second leading cause of death for 25- to 34-year-olds. In response to the problem of suicide, numerous suicide prevention programs, treatments, materials, and expert statements (collectively referred to here as “programs”) have been developed and disseminated. Unfortunately, there is little available information regarding the effectiveness, quality, and safety of these programs. In 2006, the Suicide Prevention Resource Center and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's Best Practice Registry for Suicide Prevention (BPR) was created to identify, review, and disseminate information about suicide prevention programs. This presentation will familiarize participants with criteria for acceptance to the BPR, programs currently listed on the BPR, and how to obtain additional information about the BPR. The BPR contains three sections: (1) evidence-based programs, (2) consensus and expert statements, and (3) programs that meet programmatic and safety standards and that address specific objectives of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. The latter category is further divided into (a) awareness materials, (b) educational and training programs, and (c) protocols and policies. Listed programs run the gamut from psychosocial treatments, such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy, to institutional protocols and guidelines for the identification and management of suicidal persons.