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Suicide as Syndemic

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Suicide Risk Assessment and Prevention

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Abstract

Suicide is a serious public health problem throughout the world. An interdisciplinary approach is needed to better understand and prevent suicide and life-threatening behaviors. Syndemic theory accounts for the role that culture plays in exacerbating risk factors that too often result in self-inflicted death. The culture of silo mentality in the suicidology community impedes significant progress in understanding and preventing suicide. This chapter outlines the use of syndemic theory in the study of suicide and introduces the concept of the anthropsy, which incorporates the framework on the psychological autopsy to research suicidality on a macro scale. A syndemic in the US Intermountain West is believed to be of syndemic origin. A review of an anthropsy informing this conclusion is made.

Chris Caulkins, EdD, MPH, MA, owns Caulkins Consulting, LLC. Dr. Caulkins is an educator, researcher, suicidologist, and psychological autopsy investigator. Dr. Caulkins teaches emergency medical services (EMS) and health sciences at Century College in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and is a practicing community paramedic for Allina Health EMS in St. Paul, Minnesota. Dr. Caulkins survives the suicide deaths of his wife, brother, and 12 EMS colleagues who were his co-workers and/or past students.

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  1. Chris Caulkins

    Present address: Caulkins Consulting, LLC, Forest Lake, MN, USA

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    1. Chris Caulkins
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    1. Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant’Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

      Maurizio Pompili

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    Caulkins, C. (2022). Suicide as Syndemic. In: Pompili, M. (eds) Suicide Risk Assessment and Prevention. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42003-1_4

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