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Mental Health in the Athlete pp 39–56Cite as

Athletic Suicide

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Abstract

Suicide is a growing concern within athletic communities. There is an emerging body of evidence considering suicide and its risk factors and preventative mechanisms in athletic populations, but more research is necessary to clarify association and causation. This chapter reviews the current evidence regarding the risk of suicide in competitive athletes. We discuss the unique risk factor environment and support structures for athletes at all levels of competition, while considering the factors that might put certain groups at greater risk. We will conclude by considering steps for early identification, prevention, and emergency response for athletes expressing suicidal behavior.

Keywords

  • Suicide
  • Death
  • Prevention
  • LEARN
  • Risk factors

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Fig. 4.1

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine and Section of Sports Medicine, Sports Medicine Fellowship, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Ashwin L. Rao

  2. UW Husky Athletics and Seattle Seahawks, Seattle, WA, USA

    Ashwin L. Rao

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  1. Ashwin L. Rao
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Correspondence to Ashwin L. Rao .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine and Department of Orthopaedics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA

    MD Eugene Hong

  2. Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    MD Ashwin L. Rao

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Rao, A.L. (2020). Athletic Suicide. In: Hong, E., Rao, A. (eds) Mental Health in the Athlete. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44754-0_4

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