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This chapter depicts the burden of suicidal behavior among African American males. It describes the public health approach to preventing suicidal behavior among African American males. This approach includes assessing and describing the problem; identifying causes or risk and protective factors; developing and evaluating programs and policies; and implementing and disseminating findings and activities. The chapter provides a review of the epidemiology of fatal and non-fatal suicidal behavior; a summary of what is known about the risk and protective factors of the problem; and a descriptive analysis of the circumstances associated with suicides among young African American males is presented. Lastly, the authors give a summary of evidenced-based prevention programs which could be applied in preventing male suicidal behavior.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of suicide-related mental imagery in suicidal behavior. It was hypothesized that greater frequency and vividness of suicide-related imagery would be associated with more suicidal behaviors, and acquired capability for suicide was expected to mediate this relationship. Hypotheses were tested by surveying 237 undergraduate students (59 percent female; mean age=20) who completed self-report measures that assessed suicidal cognitions, acquired capability for suicide, and history of self-harm behaviors.

Hypotheses were tested by surveying 237 undergraduate students (59 percent female; mean age=20) who completed self-report measures that assessed suicidal cognitions, acquired capability for suicide, and history of self-harm behaviors.

Results suggested that frequency and vividness of suicide-related imagery were positively correlated with suicidality. Acquired capability was not related to study variables; thus additional mediational analysis was unwarranted.

Few studies have examined suicidal imagery and how it relates to actual self-harm behavior. The current study provides an exploratory view of features of imagery related to suicidal thoughts; findings imply that understanding mental imagery may play an important role in clinical risk assessment and treatment for suicidality.

Anchored with turbulence emanating from the COVID-19 pandemic, the work environment has become more stressful with debilitating effects on the well-being of employees. Employees rely on varying means of coping including drug abuse. However, the association between drug abuse and suicidal thoughts among employees in Ghana is unknown. Therefore, this study sought to examine the relationship between drug abuse and suicidal thoughts among employees in Ghana.

In a cross-sectional survey, this study purposively sampled 470 employees from three sectors of the Ghanaian economy (telecommunication, banking and manufacturing). The data was analysed using the multivariate analysis (MANOVA), Pearson’s r test and hierarchical regression.

Analysis of data revealed a positive relationship between drug abuse and suicidal thoughts, indicating that drug abuse is a risk factor for suicidal thoughts. Besides, it was also revealed that banking sector employees have a higher risk of having suicidal thoughts than employees in the telecommunication and manufacturing sectors.

Managers of organisations need to redesign work to embrace the challenging circumstances brought about as a result of COVID-19 and post-COVID implications. The work environment needs to be more supportive to shield employees from the physical and emotional demands of work during and after this period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Today than ever, investment in the implementation of employee-assisted programmes (EAPs) and employee well-being programmes (EWPs) to equip employees with the needed skills to cope with stressful conditions has been more than justified.

From a broader perspective, this study identifies drug abuse as a key risk factor for suicidal thoughts among employees, thereby highlighting the fact that smoking cessation programs and drug management therapies are an integral part of well-being programmes aimed at establishing equilibrium and gradually creating a wide gap between employees and suicidal thoughts.

This article reviews the international literature of the last two decades on self‐injurious behaviour in prisons and jails and introduces the risk factors associated with this behaviour. Studies from a variety of countries investigated different samples (e.g. in jails or prisons; female or male inmates). We only chose those studies using a control group of inmates without self‐injurious behaviour. The findings on potential risk factors for self‐injurious behaviour are largely contradictory because of the differences in sample selection and dependent variables (deliberate self‐harm without suicidal intent vs. suicide attempts). We also discuss some methodological problems in predicting self‐injurious behaviour.

The purpose of this paper is to explore risk and protective factors associated with suicidal ideation among law enforcement personnel.

The methodology employed is based on the “Best Evidence Synthesis” approach, whereby researchers systematically examine and integrate the most empirically sound available research on the topic under investigation.

Results of studies showed that the interaction of multiple risk factors had a cumulative effect in increasing the risk for suicidal ideation. In total, five prominent aspects of policing were associated with risk for suicidal ideation: organizational stress; critical incident trauma; shift work; relationship problems; and alcohol use and abuse. Studies also indicated that protective factors and preventative measures had stress‐buffering effects which decreased the impact of police stressors.

The model is limited because few studies have employed methodologically‐sound research designs to test risk and protective factors related to police suicide. This conceptual overview may facilitate theory development and provide directions for future research.

Law enforcement agencies which implement programs that assist police personnel in developing active coping styles, identify and access available social support systems, as well as utilize community‐based services may decrease risk for suicidal ideation. This review provides practical applications for law enforcement training, education, and program development.

The paper represents the most recent review of risk and protective factors related to suicidal ideation among police personnel. This integration of research provides police practitioners with an evidence‐based ecological framework that can be applied universally in police management settings.

Suicide behaviour rates vary significantly between countries due to a range of cultural, behavioural and health‐related factors. Gender and age‐related factors also appear to be impor tant key determinants of vulnerability to suicide ideation and suicide completion. The homeless population is par ticularly at risk, due to multiple complex issues that relate to social exclusion, alcohol, drug, mental health and nutritional issues. Studying homeless people is problematic due to access, the transitory nature of their contact with statutary services, problems of self‐repor t and recall in people ‐ some of whom have mental health and cognitive issues. There is an increasing interest from practitioners and academic researchers in spiritual factors that appear to modulate the responses of an individual to the internal and external threats that underlie the motivation to end his or her life. Effective approaches to suicide prevention and crisis management require a good understanding of the interplay between this complex set of biological, psychological and social domains. These will be explored in the final section of this review. This paper, therefore, aims to provide a non‐systematic review of the existing literature published in academic journals and relvant ‘grey literature’ and focuses on themes in the literature that will hopefully inform both policy and practice.

States that suicidal behaviour among youth has increased significantly over the past several decades and is now the third leading cause of death for 15‐24 year olds. Addresses public policy issues and the current state research aimed at reducing the incidence of suicide in this age group. Suggests that schools and their systems should do a great deal more to prevent youth suicide and that schools are the logical place to implement effective suicide prevention programmes.

The purpose of this paper is to describe culture- and context-specific suicidal behaviours among Korean-Canadian immigrants as a means to guiding the development of targeted culturally sensitive suicide prevention programmes.

Fifteen Korean-Canadian immigrants who had experiences with suicidal behaviours (e.g. suicidal ideation, suicide attempts) participated in this qualitative research study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted for 30-90 minutes individually and constant comparison analysis methods were used to inductively derive recurrent prevailing themes from the interview data.

The study findings reveal that causes and triggers for suicidal behaviours among Korean-Canadians most often emerged from academic and work pressures, estranged family and altered identities. Permeating these themes were deeply embedded cultural values, which according to the participants, could afford protection or heighten the risk for suicide.

By focussing only on first-generation Korean-Canadian immigrants, the results are limited in what they can reasonably say about other Canadian immigrant sub-groups.

In light of the current research findings, mental health care providers should be cognizant of immigrant patients’ cultural backgrounds and life circumstances as a means to further understanding what underpins their risk for suicide.

Notwithstanding the aforementioned limitation, this study contributes important empirical insights about Korean-Canadian immigrants’ suicidal ideation and risk/protective factors. This not only adds to the wider literature connecting culture and suicidality, it affirms the need for culture-specific research as a means to developing culturally sensitive mental health services.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) represents a widespread social and public health problem. Researchers have been shown association between IPV and mental health problems. The purpose of this paper is to present a review of the literature on relationship between wide ranges of mental health problems.

Research papers related to mental health problems among IPV perpetrators and published in leading academic journals in UK and abroad from 1987 to 2017 were identified and reviewed.

Although there were some equivocal findings, the authors found that most of the available research suggests that there is a variety of psychological health problems among IPV perpetrators. Specifically, there was evidence of a significant relationship between anger problems, anxiety, depression, suicidal behaviour, personality disorders, alcoholism or problem gambling and perpetration of IPV. Results from analysed studies identified high rates of co-morbid disorders in IPV perpetrators.

The findings highlight the need for treatment services to undertake screening and assessment of wide range of psychological difficulties to be able to provide best treatment approaches.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic review that has included studies evaluating various psychological health problems among perpetrators of IPV.

Hispanic female (Latina) adolescents have high rates of suicidal behavior. Latinas face suicide risks common to all adolescents, but also face unique risks, including family and acculturation struggles. Life is Precious (LIP), a community-based organization operating in Brooklyn and the Bronx, has developed a comprehensive suicide prevention intervention for Latinas that has been well-received by adolescents, their parents, and the community. The purpose of this paper is to describe an academic-community partnership that has been created to evaluate the program and develop an evidence-based practice (EBP) that can be replicated in other settings.

A quantitative and qualitative research design has been developed to evaluate the current program and identify how it can be scaled into an EBP.

To date, 55 participants have completed the baseline interview. All participants are Latinas age 12-18. In total, 84 percent were born in the USA and 89 percent report fluency in English. About one-third report having repeated a grade in school and over a quarter report a history of sexual abuse. Preliminary findings indicate the effectiveness of LIP. Since the program's inception in 2008, only three participants have been hospitalized for mental health reasons and none have attempted suicide. Participants report improvements in school and family functioning.

Findings may be useful in design of programs (not necessarily suicide prevention) serving immigrant, low income, and urban populations.

LIP is an innovative program that addresses the unique risk factors facing Latina adolescents. LIP's success makes it a promising avenue to learn about preventing suicidal behavior in this vulnerable population.