Suicide prevention

Suicide prevention, as an umbrella term, involves the collective efforts of local citizen organizations, of health professionals and of related professionals to reduce the incidence of suicide. Beyond direct interventions to stop an impending suicide, methods may also involve: Suicide prevention, as an umbrella term, involves the collective efforts of local citizen organizations, of health professionals and of related professionals to reduce the incidence of suicide. Beyond direct interventions to stop an impending suicide, methods may also involve: General efforts have included preventive and proactive measures within the realms of medicine and mental health, as well as public health and other fields. Because protective factors such as social support and social engagement—as well as environmental risk factors such as access to lethal means—apparently play significant roles in suicide prevention, one cannot view suicide solely as either a medical issue or as a mental-health issue. Suicide prevention is risky for health professionals in terms of practitioners' emotional distress and the possibility of malpractice suits. Being aware of the warning signs of suicide can allow individuals to direct people who may be considering suicide to get help.