Novel Interventions for Suicide Prevention

Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide. Assessment of individuals at risk for suicide is challenging and over the last 50 years the field has made minimal advancement in suicide prevention. Studies have shown that the ability for providers to predict who will die by suicide is no better than a coin flip. Improved interventions for those at elevated risk for suicide are needed. This chapter will explore well known and novel interventions for suicide prevention. Interventions discussed include safety planning, suicide consultation, the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicide (CAMS), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and other promising interventions for the reduction of suicides. Also discussed is the need for suicide screening and populations outside of traditional mental health clinics.