Suicide: Epidemiology, Prevention, Assessment, Treatment, and Outcomes

Suicide is a global public mental health issue with more than 700,000 taking their own life, globally, in 2019. In recognition of its growing magnitude and impact, suicide has been identified as a key public health issue by the World Health Organization and included as an indicator under specific targets in the WHO Sustainable Development Goals 2030 vision. Public mental health approaches involving mental health treatment, prevention, and promotion of mental health in the population are key strategies for suicide prevention. Population-level approaches with evidence for suicide prevention include limiting access to suicide means and responsible media reporting of suicide. There is a limited and inconclusive evidence base for interventions in attempted suicide though, at this point, brief intervention and contact approaches appear to have more robust evidence for preventing repeat attempts. Recommendations in the field are also restricted by lack of evidence for complex, integrated interventions and implementational challenges. Given the substantial regional disparities in suicide rates, the sociocultural determinants of suicide, and resources for suicide prevention, every country must come up with its own national suicide prevention strategy that organizes various evidence-based targets in suicide prevention into a public health framework. Such approaches should be predicated upon multisectoral collaboration, involving all relevant stakeholders, to have maximum impact on suicide prevention.