Suicide Prevention
Suicide is a serious public health problem that can have lasting harmful effects on individuals, families, and communities. While its causes are complex and determined by multiple factors, the goal of suicide prevention is simple: Reduce factors that increase risk (i.e. risk factors) and increase factors that promote resilience (i.e. protective factors). Ideally, prevention addresses all levels of influence: individual, relationship, community, and societal. Effective prevention strategies are needed to promote awareness of suicide and encourage a commitment to social change.
Data & Statistics
Featured Topic
For World Suicide Prevention Day 2014, WHO releases the first global report on suicide Preventing suicide: a global imperative.
Publications & Resources
- Actionable Knowledge series
- Understanding Suicide: Fact Sheet
- Suicide: At a Glance [PDF 165KB]
- Recommendations for Media Reporting on Suicide
- Preventing Suicide: Program Activities Guide
- The Relationship Between Bullying and Suicide: What We Know and What it Means for Schools [PDF 5MB]
- Uniform Definitions for Self-Directed Violence
- Connecting the Dots: An Overview of the Links Among Multiple Forms of Violence
- Page last reviewed: April 7, 2015
- Page last updated: April 7, 2015
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