Public Health Approach to Suicide Research

Reducing suicide rates requires concerted efforts from multiple sectors in the community. A public health approach to suicide prevention entails strategies targeted for the general public and measures specifically developed for at-risk populations. This chapter elaborates on the World Health Organization’s recommendation for a public health approach to identify the patterns of suicide, and explore risk and protective factors against suicide, as well as develop and evaluate interventions. It then illustrates how research informed by a public health approach has been realized to develop localized and community-wide suicide prevention strategies in Hong Kong. These studies have included the use of innovative data collection methods to monitor suicide trends and evaluation studies on lethal means restriction measures, responsible media reportage, school-based preventive programs for youths, and community intervention programs for districts where suicide clusters occur.