A Public Health Response to a Cluster of Suicidal Behaviors: Clinical Psychiatry, Prevention, and Community Health

The objective of this study was to develop & implement a community public health response to a suicidal behavior cluster, including collection of risk factor data in order to prevent further behaviors. A three-phase response, including school-wide educational debriefings, individual screening for referrals, & on-site crisis management, was implemented. Incidence of suicidal behaviors & their association with hypothesized risk factors were measured. Results are presented & discussed. (30 refs)