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INJURY AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION (IVP) BRANCHā€‹

Suicide Preventionā€‹ā€‹

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Suicide is a major public health concern in California that can have both immediate and long-term impacts on individuals, families and entire communities. Both the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionā€™s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control and the California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commissionā€™s ā€œStriving for Zero: Californiaā€™s Strategic Plan for Suicide Prevention 2020ā€“2025 (PDF, 4MB)ā€ define suicide as a public health issue and a self-directed injurious form of violence.ā€‹

Suicide is a leading cause of death

Suicide is death caused by injuring oneself with the intent to die. A suicide attempt is when someone harms themselves with any intent to end their life, but they do not die as a result of their actions.

Many factors can increase the risk for suicide or protect against it. Suicide is connected to other forms of injury and violence. For example, people who have experienced violence, including child abuse, bullying, or sexual violence have a higher suicide risk. Being connected to family and community support and having easy access to health care can decrease suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

PDF Icon Self-Directed Violence Surveillance  (PDF, 1.35MB)

PDF IconPreventing Multiple Forms of Violā€‹ence (PDF, 0.77MBā€‹)

 What is the Public Health Role in Suicide Prevention?

Public health recognizes that violence, including suicide, is preventable and takes a primary prevention approach, working "upstream" to address underlying causes to prevent violence from happening in the first place. Both the California Departments of Publicā€™s Health (CDPH) Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Program (CSP) and Office of Suicide Prevention (OSP) use a public health approach to prevent suicides by partnering across multiple sectors, supporting and coordinating state and local suicide prevention activities and providing data and technical assistance to support community-based prevention programs.


 A four step circular graphic representing the Public Health Model (adapted from the World Health Organization's Preventing Suicide: A Global Perspective) is displayed starting with Step 1: Describing the Problem in the top position.  Step 1 leads to the next circle which represents Step 2: Identifying Risk and Protective Factors.  Step 2 leads to the third circle which represents Step 3: Developing and Evaluating Intervention.  Step 3 leads to the fourth circle which represents Step 4: Implementing Interventions and Disseminating information. Step 4 then leads back to Step 1, then 2, and so forth in a circular pattern.ā€‹ā€‹

Need Support Now?
988 offers 24/7 access to trained crisis counselors that provide free and
confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.orgā€‹
988 LĆ­nea de prevencion del suicidio y crisis 988 LĆ­nea de prevencion del suicidio y crisis
Si tĆŗ o alguien que conoces necesita apoyo, llama al 988 (servicio en espaƱol) o envĆ­a un texto al 988 o chat vĆ­aā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ 988lifeline.orgā€‹ (en inglĆ©s).
Veterans Crisis Line Dial 988 then Press 1 Veterans Crisis Line Dial 988 then Press 1
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