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A New Resource for Suicide Prevention
Suicide has long been a national health problem, but only recently
has it received much attention. As a result, there has been an increase
in the amount of research and resources available to those interested
in preventing suicide. Effective programs and training can be pivotal
to helping nearly half a million people who are treated in emergency
rooms for self-inflicted injuries or die by suicide every year.
Fast Facts
In the United States:
- One person dies by suicide every 16 minutes
- Each year there are 32,000 suicides
- For every suicide there are 25 attempted suicides
- Over 425,000 people are treated in emergency rooms for self-inflicted
injuries every year
Source: Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, Suicide:
Facts at a Glance (PDF) and Understanding
Suicide Fact Sheet (PDF)
The Best
Practices Registry for Suicide Prevention (BPR), launched in
2007, is a new online resource that can be used to inform the
development and improvement of suicide prevention programs and
practices. Available through the Suicide
Prevention Resource Center, an HHD program funded by SAMHSA,
it highlights specific practices that have gone through a rigorous
review process.
A list of prevention and treatment programs that have shown evidence
of effectiveness is just one of three sections in the Registry. These
research-based interventions have been reviewed by SAMHSA’s
National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP).
A second section of the Best Practices Registry (referred to as Expert/Consensus
Statements) has guidelines and protocols that practitioners can follow
while developing suicide prevention programs. The third section includes
examples of programs, practices, policies, and materials implemented
in settings such as schools, communities, or clinics that meet specified
content standards such as feasibility, accuracy, and safety.
“There is not a one-size-fits-all strategy to preventing suicide,” says
Linda Langford, Evaluation Specialist with the Suicide Prevention
Resource Center (SPRC). “This Best Practices Registry is an
information source—once people have analyzed their particular
needs and assets, the Registry provides them with information about
programs and practices that can help them meet those needs. But the
Registry is not proscriptive—they must determine for themselves
what would work best in their setting or community, or for the particular
population they are addressing.” In addition, many organizations
are using the Registry’s review criteria to develop or strengthen
their own programs.
One national organization, Suicide Awareness Voices of Education
(SAVE) had a suicide prevention curriculum for high school students
that they felt was adequate, but limited in its ability to be effective.
Students appeared bored with it and teachers weren’t interested
in using it anymore. Based on the criteria outlined in the Best Practices
Registry, SAVE developed a brand new suicide prevention curriculum
from the ground up.
“We used the Registry as the backdrop to tell us if we were
on the right course. It was extremely valuable in terms of direction,
suggestions, and resources,” says Dan Reidenberg, Executive
Director of SAVE. “The Best Practices Registry helped
us design a program that not only meets the standards but is of the highest standard
possible and can be used with high school students across the country.” They
are now testing the program and anticipate positive results.
As the field expands and programs are rigorously evaluated, information
is continually added to the Registry to provide organizations like
SAVE with better guidance about best practices.
To learn more about the Best Practices Registry contact Linda
Langford, ScD at 617-618-2719. The
Best Practices Registry is a joint collaboration of the Suicide
Prevention Resource Center and
the American Foundation for Suicide
Prevention.
It is funded by the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
February 29, 2008 |
