Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9 991 More efforts should be directed at presenting stories of suicide, especially by persons admired by youth, in a different light. One successful example is the media’s treatment of the suicide of the guitarist and singer, Kurt Cobain [47]. The lack of an apparent copycat effect following Cobain’s death is hypothesized to be due to various aspects of the media coverage and the intense activity of the crisis center and community outreach interventions in Seattle that occurred following Cobain’s suicide. 5. Preventive Measures Despite the heavy burden that adolescent suicidal behaviour imposes on individuals and communities, little is known about effective preventive measures. Of the few studies that have investigated such interventions, most were targeted at adults and reported only moderate effectiveness [48]. More attention is now being addressed at school-based prevention programs, which hold particular promise because teachers and other school staff can serve as “gatekeepers” or “gateway providers,” spotting students who seem to be in turmoil and referring them to mental health services [49]. This approach is noteworthy because the latest research suggests that most suicidal youth do not receive mental health care or even tell an adult about their suicidal thoughts or behaviors [49]. Furthermore, there are many innovative prevention efforts directed at ethnic minorities in which suicidal behavior has become epidemic, such as native Indians of Arizona [50] and the Inuit in Canada [51]. They focus on restoring ethnic pride and cultural values using a “bottom-up” approach, starting with intensive consultation with the local community. Further research is needed to understand the phenomenology of suicidal behaviors among ethnic minority populations [13], including the presentations of suicidal behavior, meanings of suicidal behavior in different cultures, risk factors particular to these groups and their correlates, applicability of known risk factors in other populations, such as depression, and preventive mechanisms. 6. Conclusions Suicide remains an important clinical problem and a major cause of death in young people. The role of social factors in suicidal behavior is long established, and there is compelling evidence that they may be at least as prominent as genetic factors. Knowledge on effective interventions in adolescents who attempt suicide, cause DSH, or have suicidal ideations is still extremely limited, and methodologically rigorous trials are required. Advancing our understanding of cultural and sociological issues underlying suicidal behavior is critical to prevention in diverse societies. In addition, the identification of more specific risk factors will help clinicians predict suicidality and target preventive treatment. In this context, the concepts propagated by the classical theories of Durkheim and Erickson are still highly relevant today. Conflict of Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest.