Cost-Effectiveness in the Prevention of Suicide – a Population Approach (IN: Investing in Health: the Social and Economic Benefits…ed. by I Farquhar, K Summers, and A Sorkin)

The authors attempt to demonstrate that suicide is the cause of substantial economic losses in a societal perspective, as part of an effort to encourage the development of preventive measures with a high population impact. They also challenge the assumption that individuals who commit suicide would have had the same life expectancy & productivity as others in the population, based on the long-term course of depression. Aims of population-based suicide prevention efforts are also reviewed. (90 refs)