Suicide Awareness and Prevention, 2nd Edition

Course overview

Suicide is a global health issue. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2021a) reports that over 700,000 people die by suicide every year. In 2020, 45,979 suicide deaths were reported in the United States and is the twelfth leading cause of death (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention [AFSP], 2022a). It is further estimated that there were 1,200,000 suicide attempts in the United States in 2020 (AFSP, 2022a). Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2022) indicates that suicide risk can occur at any point throughout the lifespan. The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of information related to suicide, as well as empirical evidence related to causal theories, risk factors, prevention, and treatment considerations. Most importantly, the course will link the existing literature to case vignettes and practical applications for occupational therapy practitioners. This intermediate-level course will provide occupational therapy practitioners with the information necessary to identify those at risk and those demonstrating symptoms associated with suicidal precursors and will help to describe the role of occupational therapy practitioners working across practice settings including approaches to assessment, intervention, and referral.