From Awareness to Action: Empowering Clinicians with Suicide Prevention Strategies

Over 40% of individuals who die by suicide visit a primary care or other medical provider in the weeks before their death. The purpose of this presentation is to introduce and highlight a comprehensive approach to suicide risk assessment and suicide-specific clinical management. Despite the prevalence of suicidal ideation, there is currently no standard content that integrates how to approach and navigate conversations with patients about suicide, how to support patients during these conversations, or how to empower patients to stay safe and engage in collaborative treatment plans. Education on this topic is often brief and combined with other content, resulting in persistent discomfort and uncertainty around this important public health problem. This novel program demystifies how we engage and care for patients living with suicidal ideation which will lessen stigma, enhance patient-provider interactions, and improve health outcomes. Preliminary program pilot data will be shared during the presentation.