Approaching Suicide as a Public Health Issue
Authors: Kerry Knox
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2014)

Editorials15 July 2014Approaching Suicide as a Public Health IssueKerry Knox, PhD, MSKerry Knox, PhD, MSFrom University of Rochester, Rochester, New York.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M14-0914 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Clinicians generally recognize that suicide is a major and increasingly common cause of death, especially in middle-aged men (1). Less familiar to many clinicians, however, is the concept of suicide as a public health issue (2). Many groups have recognized the burden of suicide as a critical public health concern, as shown by, for example, the 2012 release of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention by the U.S. Surgeon General and the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (3). Integrating clinical knowledge with a public health approach is essential if we are to reduce this tragic and preventable problem.A ...References1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Suicide among adults aged 35-64 years—United States, 1999–2010. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2013;62:321-5. [PMID: 23636024] MedlineGoogle Scholar2. Knox KL, Conwell Y, Caine ED. If suicide is a public health problem, what are we doing to prevent it? Am J Public Health. 2004;94:37-45. [PMID: 14713694] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Surgeon General, National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention: Goals and Objectives for Action. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2012. Accessed at http://actionallianceforsuicideprevention.org/NSSP on 13 April 2014. Google Scholar4. Rose G. Strategy of prevention: lessons from cardiovascular disease. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 1981;282:1847-51. [PMID: 6786649] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Knox KL, Litts DA, Talcott GW, Feig JC, Caine ED. Risk of suicide and related adverse outcomes after exposure to a suicide prevention programme in the US Air Force: cohort study. BMJ. 2003;327:1376. [PMID: 14670880] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. LeFevre ML; U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for suicide risk in adolescents, adults, and older adults in primary care: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med. 2014;160:719-26. [PMID: 24842417] LinkGoogle Scholar7. Tsai AC, Lucas M, Sania A, Kim D, Kawachi I. Social integration and suicide mortality among men: 24-year cohort study of U.S. health professionals. Ann Intern Med. 2014;161:85-95. LinkGoogle Scholar8. Institute of Medicine. Returning Home from Iraq and Afghanistan: Preliminary Assessment of Readjustment Needs of Veterans, Service Members, and Their Families. Washington, DC: National Academies Pr; 2010. Google Scholar9. Institute of Medicine. Preventing Psychological Disorders in Service Members and Their Families: An Assessment of Programs. Washington, DC: National Academies Pr; 2014. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Kerry Knox, PhD, MSAffiliations: From University of Rochester, Rochester, New York.Disclosures: Authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest. Forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M14-0914.Corresponding Author: Kerry Knox, PhD, MS, University of Rochester Medical Center, 300 Crittenden Avenue, Box PSYCH, Rochester, NY 14642; e-mail, [email protected]Rochester.edu. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoSocial Integration and Suicide Mortality Among Men: 24-Year Cohort Study of U.S. Health Professionals Alexander C. Tsai , Michel Lucas , Ayesha Sania , Daniel Kim , and Ichiro Kawachi Social Integration and Suicide Mortality Among Men: 24-Year Cohort Study of U.S. Health Professionals Alexander C. Tsai , Michel Lucas , Ayesha Sania , Daniel Kim , and Ichiro Kawachi Metrics Cited bySuicide and self-injury outcomes for patients with comorbid psychiatric and physical health conditionsSubstance use and suicide outcomes among self-injured trauma patientsFeasibility and Acceptability of Health Coaching as an Upstream Suicide Prevention Approach: A Pilot Study Among Post-9/11 VeteransFactors protecting against the development of suicidal ideation in military veteransFirst onset of suicidal thoughts and behaviours in collegeIssues in research on aging and suicideExamination of the population attributable risk of different risk factor domains for suicidal thoughts and behaviors 15 July 2014Volume 161, Issue 2Page: 151-152KeywordsCohort studiesEpidemiologyLongitudinal studiesMedical risk factorsMortalityPopulation statisticsPrevention, policy, and public healthSocioeconomic statusSuicideSurgeons ePublished: 15 July 2014 Issue Published: 15 July 2014 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2014 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...