Abstract
The origins of the prevention concept in the USA; a century of suicide prevention programmes; analyses of suicide statistics and the ‘science’ of prevention ; identifying at-risk groups; differing approaches to prevention ; unachievable targets for suicide reduction; examining prevention strategies in Eastern Europe, Japan and New Zealand .
Prevention : the act of stopping something from happening or arising.
—Oxford English Dictionary
Suicide can be prevented, it just takes leadership and careful investment to make a meaningful change in this area.
—Mental Health Australia [https://mhaustralia.org/media-releases/australia-must-focus-preventing-suicide]
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Notes
- 1.
Google. The Bendigo Advertiser, Monday January 7, 1907: 5.
- 2.
In Australia in 2016–2017, suicide prevention -specific programmes expended $A49.2 million out of a total of $A3 billion spent by the federal government on mental health. States probably spent about the same amount, so prevention expenditure was some $A100 million out of $8.7 billion. We think this is a major slab of money; others in this field believe it is far too little.
- 3.
Sourced from https://data.oecd.org/healthstat/suicide-rates.htm.
- 4.
Suicide Risk Assessment and Management Protocols: Mental Health In-Patient Unit NSW Health. See: www.health.nsw.gov.au/mentalhealth/programs/mh/Publications/mental-health-in-patient-unit.pdf.
- 5.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) https://www.samhsa.gov/suicide-prevention/at-risk-populations.
- 6.
- 7.
- 8.
- 9.
- 10.
‘Suicides in Japan notched eight consecutive drops in 2017, preliminary data show’, January 19, 2018. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/01/19/national/suicides-japan-notched-eight-consecutive-drop-2017-preliminary-data-show/#.WnEzNqiWaUk.
- 11.
‘Japan turning the corner in suicide prevention ’ in http://www.who.int/mental_health/suicide-prevention/japan_story/en/
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Tatz, C., Tatz, S. (2019). The Preventionists. In: The Sealed Box of Suicide. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28159-5_8
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