Follow-up and chain of care in the prevention of suicide recurrence

Abstract

Suicide constitutes one of the most important problems in global public health. However, assessment as well as corresponding verification of suicide risk, either in case histories or clinical reports, is handled poorly in several clinical settings. Aspects as important as the existence of a personal history of suicidal tendencies are frequently omitted, despite this being one of the risk factors that most clearly predict the possibility of a complete suicide in the future. During this presentation, I would like to refer specific interventions in at-risk populations, with special emphasis on individuals who have made previous suicide attempts. Suicidal behaviour is a very complex phenomenon, making a specific treatment for it difficult to produce. Consequently, when the most appropriate therapeutic approach for an at-risk population is raised, the following fact is mentioned: in approximately 90% of suicide cases, there is an underlying psychiatric disorder. This makes psychopharmacological treatment of the base pathology the most adequate. Still totally in agreement with that affirmation, we want to point out that we often forget there is proven evidence of the preventative utility of non-pharmacological interventions designed to increase clinical follow-up and adherence to post-attempt outpatient treatment. It is important to indicate that these interventions are not aimed at specific disorders or population groups, but rather they are of a more universal character and are thus more easily generalised. During this presentation, some of these approaches will be addressed and discussed.

Disclosure of interest

The author has not supplied his declaration of competing interest.