Suicide prediction and potential opportunities for prevention

摘要

Several papers address the topic of suicide, particularly issues of prediction and prevention, in the Journal this month. Kleiman & Liu (pp. 262-266) investigated the link between religiousness and suicidality by undertaking a prospective analysis of data from a nationally representative US sample. Those individuals reporting frequent attendance at religious services were found to be less likely to die by suicide over the follow-up period, even after other relevant factors were taken into account. In a linked editorial, Cook (pp. 254-255) highlights the importance of a study which moves beyond cross-sectional findings, and comments on the potential utility and appropriateness of considering spirituality and religion when assessing suicide risk in clinical settings.