Call for Submissions: Public Health Approaches to Suicide Prevention

Co-Editors: Bruce E. Crow, Psy.D., Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine; Robert J. Cramer, Ph.D., Associate Professor & Belk Distinguished Scholar, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Number of articles: 10-15

Open Date: October 21, 2019

Submission Deadline: February 29, 2020

Suicide is widely recognized as an important public health problem. Public health approaches and social-ecological models of suicide conceptually shape many state and national level suicide prevention strategic plans. However, there is less understanding and application of public health approaches to suicide prevention compared to clinical interventions. Public health approaches exist (e.g., gate-keeper training, pertinent policies); however, further research is needed to build a robust empirical and theoretical base to public health approaches to suicide prevention.  In response to this need, the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) recently created a Public Health Committee to continue efforts toward developing the science, theory and practice of public health approaches to suicide prevention.    

This Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior special issue aims to provide a platform for empirical and other public health suicide prevention advancements. The requirement for fit with the special issue is articulation, demonstration, or testing of a public health approach to suicide prevention. Example topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

1. Evaluation (e.g., feasibility, pilot study) of multi-level suicide prevention approaches.
2. Application of existing population-based (e.g., policy analysis, community advocacy) or systemic (e.g., Zero Suicide, gate-keeper training) approaches to local, state, national or cross-national contexts.
3. Examination of suicide prevention strategies/programs in vulnerable populations (e.g., school-aged youth, immigrants, military).
4. Investigation of comparative studies of suicide prevention risk and protective factors.
5. Evaluation of public health measurement in suicide prevention.
6. Assessment of population level approaches to identifying persons at-risk across settings (e.g., universal screening in primary care or workplace).
7. Empirical study of public health policies impacting suicide-related outcomes.
8. Studies that add evidence to or refine public health suicide prevention theories or further distinguish public health suicide prevention from clinical interventions.

Submission Instructions:

All submissions must adhere to the Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior Guide for Authors. Authors should prepare two versions of their submission: one with author information included and one blinded copy for peer review.  Submissions should be sent with a cover letter to  SLTBPH1@gmail.com.

Email inquiries can be sent to special issue Co-Editors at SLTBPH1@gmail.com.