Resource Types: Report

The Department of Defense Suicide Prevention Task Force on the Prevention of Suicide by Members of the Armed Forces, which was established in August 2009, prepared this report for the Secretary of Defense, detailing the research, results, and recommendations from a year-long review of data, studies, programs, and discussions with service members, their families, and their caregivers. The intent of this report is to provide the Secretary of Defense and Department of Defense (DoD) leadership with actionable and measurable recommendations for policy and programs designed to prevent suicide by members of the Armed Forces.

In September 2006, the National Center on Institutions and Alternatives (NCIA) entered into a cooperative agreement with the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) to conduct a national study on jail suicide that would determine the extent and distribution of inmate suicides in local jails (i.e., city, county, and police department facilities) and also gather descriptive data on the demographic characteristics of each victim, characteristics of the incident, and characteristics of the jail facility that sustained the suicide. The study, a followup to a similar national survey that NCIA conducted in 1986, resulted in a report of the findings to be used as a resource tool for both jail personnel in expanding their knowledge base and correctional (as well as mental health and medical) administrators in creating and/or revising policies and training curricula on suicide prevention.

This followup study found substantial changes in the demographic characteristics of inmates who died by suicide, as well as an increase in the suicide rate from 36/100,000 inmates in 1986 to 107/100,000 in 2006. 

The primary goal of this first national survey on juvenile suicide in confinement was to determine the extent and distribution of juvenile suicides in confinement (i.e., juvenile detention centers, reception centers, training schools, ranches, camps, and farms). The survey gathered descriptive data on the demographic characteristics of each victim, the characteristics of the incident, and the characteristics of the juvenile facility in which the suicide took place.
The study identified 110 juvenile suicides occurring between 1995 and 1999. Data was analyzed on 79 cases.

MMWR. March 20, 2009; 58(SS01):1-44. This report is the second summary of data from the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS). According to the report, 15,395 violent deaths were recorded in 16 NVDRS states in 2006, of which 56 percent were suicides. Suicides were: occurring at higher rates among males, American Indians/Alaska Natives, non-Hispanic whites, and persons aged 45-54 years; most often occurring in a house or apartment and involving the use of firearms; precipitated primarily by mental-health, intimate-partner, or physical-health problems or by a crisis during the preceding 2 weeks.

Report of an Interfaith Suicide Prevention Dialogue that was convened by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) to further the progress of faith communities in preventing suicide, and was supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Participants included representatives of the five largest faith groups in the United States: Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist, and Hindu.

MMWR. June 19, 2009; 58(23):637-41. This report analyzes data from the National Violent Death Reporting System in 2005-2006. The overall prevalence of alcohol intoxication was nearly 24% among suicide decedents tested for alcohol, with the highest percentage among American Indian/Alaska Natives (37%), followed by Hispanics (29%) and persons aged 20-49 years (28%). The authors conclude that many populations can benefit from culturally appropriate suicide-prevention strategies that include efforts to reduce alcohol consumption.

This list reports authorized and appropriated funding amounts spend by all the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act programs, and separately by the state/tribe, campus, and TAC programs, in 2005-09.

This report from an October 2005 meeting led by the Organization of Attempters and Survivors of Suicide in Interfaith Services (OASSIS) and the Suicide Prevention Action Network (SPAN USA) contains recommendations from participants on issues related to suicide attempts and the needs of suicide attempt survivors.

Picture This is a guide for creators in the entertainment industry which addresses issues within the realm of depression and suicide prevention, as identified by mental health experts, advocates, policy-makers, and others working to improve public awareness about and reduce instances of depression and suicide.

This report was released at a symposium titled “Through native eyes: Identity, perception and recognition”. The report finds additional evidence that American Indians and Alaska Natives living in urban areas face major hurdles in reaching health status similar to their fellow Americans. Findings from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a national telephone survey conducted yearly and coordinated by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), show American Indians and Alaska Natives living in selected urban areas were more likely to report difficulty accessing health care, had higher rates of risk behavior, and experienced worse health outcomes than the general population. Income differences were shown to play a role in explaining some of the health disparities, but differences in some reported health indicators were not income dependent.