Abstract
Can Suicide be Prevented? Better Treatment of Mental Illness is More Appropriate aim
Wilkinson G
This brief article states that it seems unlikely that suicide can be prevented easily by medical means. Some of the problems are that suicide cannot be predicted or prevented reliably & that political initiatives are incoherent & implausible. Wilkinson argues that there is too little established knowledge for a programme of primary prevention. He believes the emphasis should be on secondary prevention, concentrating on the proper identification & treatment of people with mental illness.