Suicide is an ongoing global public health concern, with over 800,000 deaths annually worldwide, and an estimated 20-25 times more attempts. The enduring impacts on families and communities cannot be overstated, with recent estimates suggesting over 100 people are affected for each death by suicide. Risk and protective factors are complex, spanning biological factors such as brain connectivity and genetic markers, psychological factors such as hopelessness and psychological pain, and social/environmental factors such as housing insecurity and financial stress. Consistent with current understanding of mental health conditions, there are no single clinical or biological markers that definitively predict suicide-related outcomes, and integrated approaches may be more fruitful. Importantly, suicide is recognized as a transdiagnostic entity, occurring both across and outside of mental health conditions, providing an impetus to study its prevention and management in and of itself and not simply as a symptom of a mental health condition such as depression.
Unfortunately, despite increasing awareness and research interest in recent decades, suicide risk prediction remains imprecise. There is a need for rigorous research on evidence-based interventions and better understanding of risk and protective factors. It is also vital to recognize the higher risk among specific marginalized communities and the need for culturally competent care. This topic is especially urgent given the ongoing mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, in which early reports demonstrated an increase in suicidal thoughts.
This Article Collection seeks to collect and share recent perspectives in suicide research through a multidisciplinary, transdiagnostic lens. From neurobiological studies of suicide risk to qualitative studies exploring relevant social determinants of health, this collection will cover broad perspectives on suicide prevention, intervention, and management. We welcome Original Research and Review articles on the following themes:
• Clinical topics, including risk assessment and management
• Suicide prevention strategies, including reducing access to lethal means and digital health approaches
• Neurobiology of suicide, including neuroimaging, genetic, biological, or neurocognitive studies to better understand the neurobiological mechanisms involved in suicide risk and identify potential predictive markers
• Impact of COVID-19, from the broader global mental health and economic effects of the pandemic, to the direct individual impacts of COVID-19 infection and/or Long-COVID on suicide risk
• Specific populations who may have increased suicide risk, including LGBTQ2S+ communities, Indigenous communities, racialized groups, youth/young adults, and military/veteran populations
• Suicide intervention strategies, including the current evidence for psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, and psychosocial interventions
Please submit your manuscript on our website, quoting the promo code AFTXM to indicate that your submission is for consideration in this Article Collection.
