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Suicide Prevention: Rising Rates and New Evidence Shape Policy Options

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Abstract

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States and rates have risen steadily in the past 15 years. However, investments in and policy commitments to suicide prevention are minimal. Within the last two decades, knowledge about what is effective to prevent suicide has grown dramatically. Additionally, awareness of successful efforts, especially in healthcare settings, has grown. National legislation creating a new national suicide prevention program for adults, coupled with the developments above, suggest that a renewed approach to suicide prevention is possible. This chapter will review patterns in suicide, review knowledge about prevention and intervention, and suggest policy priorities to reverse recent trends.

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Hogan, M.F. (2020). Suicide Prevention: Rising Rates and New Evidence Shape Policy Options. In: Goldman, H., Frank, R., Morrissey, J. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of American Mental Health Policy. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11908-9_9

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