ABSTRACT
There are over 30,000 completed suicides in the United States each year. Most successful suicides are carried out by men, but women attempt suicide more often (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 1999). Suicide is currently the third leading cause of death among young adults ages 15 to 34, and in the United Kingdom, suicide is the second most common cause of death in this age group after motor vehicle accidents (Williams, 1997). Recently, the Surgeon General identified suicide as one of the top public health concerns in the United States (Parker, 1998). Overall, suicide accounts for nearly 9% of males and 4% of females in loss of years of life before the age of 65. This figure is similar for most Western countries (Williams, 1997). Clearly, suicide represents a major health concern.
