ABSTRACT
The public health approach differs from traditional approaches to suicide prevention. Suicide has traditionally been seen as a mental health problem. In this view, suicide was seen as caused by mental illness, and prevention consisted of identifYing and treating persons with the types of mental illness that led to suicide. These illnesses usually include depression, manic depressive illness, schizophrenia, and serious character and anxiety disorders. The traditional approach has also focused on treating patients with mental illness one at a time as they come for mental health care in clinical settings, with treatment provided by mental health clinicians. The public health approach is based on three fundamental principles: it is focused on prevention, based on science, and inclusive in scope. Suicide is an important global health problem and takes a large toll in almost every country. The examples in this paper are drawn from the US, but we believe that the public health approach to suicide prevention advocated here will be useful around the world.
