Suicide and Suicide Prevention From a Global Perspective

Get a global overview of the current research and advances in suicide prevention:

• Looks at achievements in 6 geographical regions
• Investigates the evidence base
• Explores best practices in reducing suicide
• Discusses future directions

Suicide is one of the most personal yet one of the most complex acts people can engage in. It continues to be a major global public health problem with an estimated 800,000 deaths annually. Suicide prevention is an important target in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030, which aim to reduce premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases by one-third. Suicide is a global problem, but what differences are there in the challenges faced and the solutions found regionally?

Written by leading experts, the nine chapters of this volume provide a clear outline of the major milestones and achievements so far in six different geographical regions using the data collated by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and the WHO Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, as well as information on the recent progress in the development and implementation of national suicide prevention programs in different countries. In two concluding chapters, the evidence base and best practice of suicide prevention programs are reviewed, as well as the future directions for suicide prevention at the global level.

This book is essential reading for all those involved in suicide research and prevention as well as public health policy and epidemiology who want to keep up-to-date with the latest global developments.

From the reviews

"This monograph from the International Association of Suicide Prevention includes summary accounts of suicide and suicide prevention across […] WHO regions of the world, namely Europe, Southeast Asia, Americas, Africa, Eastern Mediterranean, and Western Pacific. The editors and their colleagues offer a coherent, sustained presentation of singularly important information about suicide and suicide prevention around the globe. The monograph gets beyond the European / North American focus that characterizes much thanatological scholarship. Each chapter on a specific geographical region is written by a team of experts in that region. The monograph makes a valuable contribution to our fundamental knowledge about suicide and suicide prevention. [It] offers a trustworthy base of empirical data, a solid starting point, for persons wanting contemporary information about humanity and suicide."
David E. Balk, PhD, Brooklyn College of the University of New York, USA, in Omega – Journal of Death and Dying, 2021, vol. 83, 161-163

[T]his volume contains a wealth of up-to-date information of the current status of suicide preven-tion across the globe. It emphasizes the need to maintain a high standard of research and practice, while providing ample examples of good practices.
Karl Andriessen, Centre for Mental Health School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Australia, in Crisis, vol. 42, 2021

"[E]asy to digest, this monograph on global suicide is rich and powerful in its data, analysis, and scope. I believe it stands alone and can be most useful to every community and every country as it addresses the problem of suicide and intervention. It discusses the extent of suicide and self-harm around the globe divided into six regions, differentiating low- and middle-income countries from high-income countries. There is thorough analysis of suicide and self-harm data from individual countries, including income, age gender, and methods used [...]. Existing interventions and programs are also reported and discussed within each regional chapter, as are considerations and recommendations. The tables are extraordinary and rich with data."
Margaret Bortko, RN, FNP, DNP, Montana State University-Bozeman Campus, in Doody's Listings and Reviews of Your Books, 2020