Year: 2008 Source: Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, (2008). 43p. SIEC No: 20110025

This document focuses on the current state of knowledge at the intersection of suicide & substance abuse. The first section focuses on the epidemiology of suicide & presents a brief history of the growing focus on suicide as a public health issue. The second section provides an overview of what is known & not known about the impact of substance abuse on suicide risk, acknowledging the critical interrelationships among substance abuse, mental illness, & suicide risk. The final section explores suicide prevention within the public health context of behavioural health promotion & illness prevention. JA