Prevention, intervention and postvention of suicidal behaviour: A social work perspective

Abstract. Suicide is a global public health problem, with around 800,000 people taking their own lives annually worldwide. In Spain, 2022 marked the fourth consecutive year of record highs in suicide deaths. This study  focuses on the involvement of social work professionals in suicide prevention, intervention and postvention. To this end, an exhaustive review of the scientific literature published in the databases of Dialnet, Scopus, Web of  Science and Google Scholar was carried out. It is important to note that suicide and suicidal behaviour have far-reaching effects on individuals, families and the wider community. Social workers have regular contact with  people who are at risk of suicide or exposed to suicidal situations, which underlines the importance and necessity of understanding the scale of their intervention at each of the three intervention levels: prevention, intervention and postvention. The aim of this research is to shed light on the crucial role played by social work in the fight against suicide and its impact on individuals and society.