RESOURCES FOR RESEARCHERS AND PROGRAM EVALUATORS

Principles of Suicide Prevention Effectiveness

Suicide has been a leading cause of death in the United States for years, yet we understand little about the actual causes of suicide. We understand even less about how to prevent suicide. Many people are trying to develop and implement suicide prevention efforts. Application of basic principles of prevention effectiveness would benefit these efforts by helping them to maximize their impact. An understanding of the concepts and principles relevant to prevention effectiveness that are presented in this document should promote their application in practice.

Even though suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, the Federal financial resources applied to preventing suicide are dismal at best. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services currently spends an estimated 20 million dollars annually on this problem. Much of this funding goes to research and not programs. Other causes of death that take less of a toll than suicide receive billions of dollars in annual funding.

Collectively, States are probably spending more on suicide prevention programs than the Federal government. This itself is a testament to the fact that limited resources must be used in the best possible way. And this will require that all of us do the very best with what we have.

The enthusiasm, energy, and dedication that survivors of suicide bring to the prevention effort is one of our most significant resources. However, this grassroots group, even with the "fire in the belly" to prevent suicide, faces a tremendous lack of financial resources for suicide prevention. Thus, we must use our limited resources in the best possible ways. This means that planners of state and local community suicide prevention programs must understand and apply the basic principles of prevention effectiveness. To do less would be to waste the valuable and very limited resources we have.

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