About Suicide Prevention
How Does Prevention Work?
Primary prevention addresses the root causes of suicide. This includes trauma, the ongoing mental health crisis, poor access to health care, and other risk factors.
Examples of primary prevention (upstream) strategies include:
- Programs that enhance social connectedness (school-based programs, community events, etc.).
- Programs that support high-risk and underserved groups of people (veterans, rural, older adults, firearm safety, etc.).
- Resources for the development, implementation, and evaluation of interventions that prevent suicidal behaviors.
- Governmental policies that improve economic supports in communities
Secondary prevention identifies people who face emerging risks. It also intervenes to keep them safe and connects them to the right supports to prevent a suicidal crisis.
Examples of secondary prevention (midstream) strategies include:
- Screening for mental health conditions and suicidal thoughts (schools, primary care, and pediatric settings, etc.).
- Programs that decrease stigma and normalize help-seeking and help-giving behaviors (public awareness campaigns, education on safe messaging, etc.).
- Training for people and populations about how to talk to other people about suicide (courses, events, virtual, etc.).
Tertiary prevention guides the response to suicidal crises. It also promotes approaches to these crises that have connection, dignity, and empowerment (and not fear).
Examples of tertiary prevention (downstream) strategies include:
- Access to effective crisis response (988, mobile teams, walk-in centers, etc.)
- Effective treatments to help people cope and recover (rapid therapeutics, multimodal interventions, etc.)
- Steps to reduce access to lethal means (gun locks, medication lockboxes, bridge barriers, etc.)
- Safety planning (help to create a clear plan, continuity in follow up/care, etc.)
Resources on Suicide Prevention
Use these resources to find more action steps and strategies on suicide prevention.
- Zero Suicide
- Toolkits, resources, and other helpful guidance on scalable suicide prevention strategies.
View Resource - Suicide Prevention Resource Center
- Insights on how to plan and implement scalable suicide prevention strategies with real-world examples and other evidence-based guidance.
View Resource - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Robust list of strategies and action steps to reduce suicide based on the best available evidence.
View Resource - NC Department of Health and Human Services
- Resources, toolkits, and data on suicide prevention for individuals, communities, and providers.
View Resource - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Details on the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, a bold new 10-year, comprehensive, whole-of-society approach to suicide prevention.
View Resource - American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
- A host of good resources on suicide prevention for individuals, communities, veterans, and more.
View Resource - National Institute of Mental Health
- Background and insights on the Suicide Research Team (SRT), which leads NIMH’s suicide research activities.
View Resource - Reporting on Suicide
- Recommendations for media on how to report on suicide in a way that avoids negative influence on behavior and encourages help-seeking.
View Resource - NC Department of Health and Human Services
- Links to data that offer insight into suicides and mental health-related behaviors at the state and local levels.
View Resource - American Foundation for Suicide Prevention — NC Chapter
- North Carolina-specifc resources on suicide prevention, such as events, fundraising opportunities, updates and more.
View Resource
Courses
Free courses on topics around suicide prevention.
- LivingWorks Suicide Prevention Trainings
- Evidence-based training that empowers individuals, organizations and communities to work together to help keep people safer from suicide.
View Course