What is it about?
People at risk for suicide don't always get the care they need from health systems. This article shows how analyzing the systems themselves can identify opportunities for improving care. It then outlines three key areas that need to be addressed to bring about changes to systems: 1) Developing a culture of safety and prevention; 2) Implementing best practices, policies, and pathways; and 3) Ensuring proper workforce education and development.
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Why is it important?
Approaching suicide prevention from the perspective of whole systems can help ensure that care is humane, patient-centered, and effective. Historically, suicide has been treated as something that happens because of what's going on in the individual's mind and environment. But when health systems miss opportunities to prevent suicide, these failures also contribute to suicide risk. This article shares a method for analyzing the impact of systems on suicide risk and then offers a practical framework for implementing change at the systems level.
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This page is a summary of: Systems Approach to Suicide Prevention: Strengthening Culture, Practice, and Education, FOCUS The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry, April 2023, American Psychiatric Association,
DOI: 10.1176/appi.focus.20220081.
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