This Research Topic is the second volume of the 'Community Series in Bio-Psycho-Social Indicators of Suicide Risk'. Please see the first volume
here.
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, although rates differ dramatically across cultures and countries. Over many years the scientific community has documented many factors that are predictive of suicide (e.g. previous suicide attempt, mental illness, substance abuse, psychosocial difficulties, etc.) and these factors can be used as a basis of prediction of suicide attempts and a target for therapeutic intervention. Understanding the relationship of these factors to the underlying biology and the influence of the environment upon suicide risk can aid in both our understanding of why suicide occurs and in our ability to detect imminent suicide attempts and therefore intervene more effectively.
The goal of this Research Topic is to determine what factors are predictive of past and future suicide attempts, and how these might be used to predict and prevent future completed suicides and suicide attempts and reduce suicide rates within populations. We would encourage research that investigates individual factors (across bio-psycho-social domains) of suicide risk, evaluation schemes that combine factors (such as actuarial schemes or structured professional judgment instruments), or research that attempts to intervene with specific factors in the prevention of suicide. We use the term “suicide” broadly to include studies of both completed and attempted suicide, and how these relate to other self-injurious behavior.
We welcome case reports, observational studies, randomized controlled studies, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, as well as economic evaluations as submissions. We strongly encourage those using novel techniques (e.g. internet-based strategies, implicit measures of psychological constructs, evaluation of novel bio-psycho-social markers to suicide, or evaluation of suicide risk instruments) to detect suicidal thinking or to prevent and reduce suicide in high risk populations. We would also encourage work that looks at the interface between suicidal thoughts and suicidal behaviors.
• Bio-psycho-social factors behind suicidal thoughts and behavior
• Prediction of suicide
• Prevention of suicide at the individual level (e.g. psychological therapies, etc.)
• Suicide management at a Public Health level
• Internet based detection of suicide risk
• Suicidal thought and attempted/completed suicides
• Implicit and explicit measures of risk factors to suicide
• Biological markers to suicide risk