Background: Evidence-based best practices for incorporation into an optimal multilevel intervention for suicide prevention should be identifiable in the literature. Aims: To identify effective interventions for the prevention of suicidal behavior. Methods: Review of systematic reviews found in the Pubmed, Cochrane, and DARE databases. Steps include risk-of-bias assessment, data extraction, summarization of best practices, and identification of synergistic potentials of such practices in multilevel approaches. Results: Six relevant systematic reviews were found. Best practices identified as effective were as follows: training general practitioners (GPs) to recognize and treat depression and suicidality, improving accessibility of care for at-risk people, and restricting access to means of suicide. Although no outcomes were reported for multilevel interventions or for synergistic effects of multiple interventions applied together, indirect support was found for possible synergies in particular combinations of interventions within multilevel strategies. Conclusions: A number of evidence-based best practices for the prevention of suicide and suicide attempts were identified. Research is needed on the nature and extent of potential synergistic effects of various preventive activities within multilevel interventions.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Research Trends
- Pages 1-15
- DOI 10.1027/0227-5910/a000109
- Authors
- Christina M. van der Feltz-Cornelis, Department of Developmental and Clinical Psychology, University of Tilburg, The Netherlands
- Marco Sarchiapone, Department of Health Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy
- Vita Postuvan, Department of Health Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy
- Daniëlle Volker, Research Program Diagnosis and Treatment, Trimbos Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Saska Roskar, Health Research Department, Primorska Institute of Natural Sciences and Technology (PINT), University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia
- Alenka Tančič Grum, Institute of Public Health of the Republic of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Vladimir Carli, NASP, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- David McDaid, Personal Social Services Research Unit, LSE Health and Social Care, London School of Economics, UK
- Rory O’Connor, University of Stirling, UK
- Margaret Maxwell, University of Stirling, UK
- Angela Ibelshäuser, Society for Mental Health – pro mente tirol, Innsbruck, Austria
- Chantal Van Audenhove, LUCAS Centre for Care Research and Consultancy, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium
- Gert Scheerder, LUCAS Centre for Care Research and Consultancy, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium
- Merike Sisask, Estonian-Swedish Mental Health and Suicidology Institute (ERSI), Tallinn, Estonia
- Ricardo Gusmão, CEDOC, Department of Mental Health, New University of Lisbon, Portugal
- Ulrich Hegerl, Department of Psychiatry, University of Leipzig, Germany
- Journal Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention
- Online ISSN 2151-2396
- Print ISSN 0227-5910