Identifying and responding to suicide clusters and contagion: A practice resource.

This has been developed as a contribution to the National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England. It should be read alongside the guidance on developing local suicide action plans. (www.gov.uk/government/publications/suicide-prevention-developing-a-localaction-plan) The document includes: the meaning of the term Ôsuicide clustersÕ, their identification, suggestions for who may be at risk of suicidal acts due to the influence of other peopleÕs suicidal behaviour, the mechanisms involved, and the effects of suicide (including suicide clusters) on other individuals. The steps that need to be taken at local level to prepare for a suicide cluster are described. This necessitates the development of a community action plan (CAP), including suicide surveillance group (SSG) to review local occurrence of suicides and self-harm, together with a suicide response team (SRT) to deliver the plan. If all this is already in place, you may wish to move on to page 22, ÔIdentification of a possible suicide cluster.Õ