The 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (the National Strategy) is the result of a joint effort by the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General and the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action Alliance).

The National Strategy is a call to action that is intended to guide suicide prevention actions in the United States over the next decade. It outlines four strategic directions with 13 goals and 60 objectives that are meant to work together in a synergistic way to prevent suicide in the nation.

Contents

• Preface from the Surgeon General
• From the National Council for Suicide Prevention
• From the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention
• National Strategy for Suicide Prevention Task Force
• Dedication
• Introduction
  • Understanding Suicide
  • Preventing Suicide
  • The 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention
  • Looking Ahead
• Strategic Direction 1: Healthy and Empowered Individuals, Families, and Communities
  • Goal 1 Integrate and coordinate suicide prevention activities across multiple sectors and settings
  • Goal 2 Implement research-informed communication efforts designed to prevent suicide by changing knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors
  • Goal 3 Increase knowledge of the factors that offer protection from suicidal behaviors and that promote wellness and recovery
  • Goal 4 Promote responsible media reporting of suicide, accurate portrayals of suicide and mental illnesses in the entertainment industry, and the safety of online content related to suicide
• Strategic Direction 2: Clinical and Community Preventive Services
  • Goal 5 Develop, implement, and monitor effective programs that promote wellness and prevent suicide and related behaviors
  • Goal 6 Promote efforts to reduce access to lethal means of suicide among individuals with identified suicide risk
  • Goal 7 Provide training to community and clinical service providers on the prevention of suicide and related behaviors
• Strategic Direction 3: Treatment and Support Services
  • Goal 8 Promote suicide prevention as a core component of health care services
  • Goal 9 Promote and implement effective clinical and professional practices for assessing and treating those identified as being at risk for suicidal behaviors
  • Goal 10 Provide care and support to individuals affected by suicide deaths and attempts to promote healing and implement community strategies to help prevent further suicides
• Strategic Direction 4: Surveillance, Research, and Evaluation
  • Goal 11 Increase the timeliness and usefulness of national surveillance systems relevant to suicide prevention and improve the ability to collect, analyze, and use this information for action
  • Goal 12 Promote and support research on suicide prevention
  • Goal 13 Evaluate the impact and effectiveness of suicide prevention interventions and systems and synthesize and disseminate findings
• Appendix A National Strategy for Suicide Prevention Goals and Objectives for Action Summary List
• Appendix B Crosswalk of Goals and Objectives From 2001 to 2012
• Appendix C Brief History of Suicide Prevention in the United States
• Appendix D Groups With Increased Suicide Risk
• Appendix E General Suicide Prevention Resources
• Appendix F Glossary
• Appendix G Federal Working Group Agency Descriptions
• Acknowledgments
• References

The development of this document was supported by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), through Grant No. SMO59945 to Education Development Center, Inc., for the Suicide Prevention Resource Center. Design and review were supported by Gallup, under Contract No. HHS28300001T/HHS2832007000231, Ref No. 283-07-2301, SAMHSA, HHS.

Suggested citation:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Surgeon General and National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention: Goals and Objectives for Action. Washington, DC: HHS, September 2012.