Book contents
- Preventing Suicide
- Preventing Suicide
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Introduction
- Section 1 Suicide as a Public Health Problem
- Section 2 Specific Challenges in Preventing Suicide
- Chapter 5 Using Evidence in Suicide Prevention
- Chapter 6 Suicide and the Media
- Chapter 7 Suicide and Violence
- Chapter 8 Suicide Prevention in Young People
- Chapter 9 Suicide and Minority Groups
- Chapter 10 Suicide and Occupation
- Chapter 11 Substance Use Disorders and Suicide
- Chapter 12 Decriminalising Suicide Attempts in Ghana
- Section 3 Practicalities
- Index
- References
Chapter 5 - Using Evidence in Suicide Prevention
from Section 2 - Specific Challenges in Preventing Suicide
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 December 2025
By
Book contents
- Preventing Suicide
- Preventing Suicide
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Introduction
- Section 1 Suicide as a Public Health Problem
- Section 2 Specific Challenges in Preventing Suicide
- Chapter 5 Using Evidence in Suicide Prevention
- Chapter 6 Suicide and the Media
- Chapter 7 Suicide and Violence
- Chapter 8 Suicide Prevention in Young People
- Chapter 9 Suicide and Minority Groups
- Chapter 10 Suicide and Occupation
- Chapter 11 Substance Use Disorders and Suicide
- Chapter 12 Decriminalising Suicide Attempts in Ghana
- Section 3 Practicalities
- Index
- References
Summary
Evidence is essential to suicide prevention. Delay until the evidence base is complete is not possible, so cautious advice must be given to policy makers on imperfect evidence. This means recognising uncertainty, including the risk that the advice may cause more harm than good. Evaluation during implementation is critical but frequently neglected. The UK has a system of nationwide statistics, supplemented by a National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health (NCISH) into all apparently suicidal deaths during or after mental health care. In addition, there are recently devised real-time statistics of suspicious deaths. There is a system of self-harm registers, independent of official systems. These systems have generated unusually good information on suicidal deaths and self-harm, leading to tangible improvements. However, like all evidence, it is still imperfect.
Keywords
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- Preventing SuicideAn Evidence-Based Approach, pp. 49 - 62Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
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