Free, Online Resource Outlines Latest Suicide Research

Conwell told Psychiatric News that the document is incredibly valuable. “It’s encyclopedic,” he said. “It’s a very impressive document that reflects input from many experts in this field. It’s difficult to maintain the quality of a compendium like this because there is quite a bit of ongoing research, but Dr. Jacobs has managed to do that remarkably well.”

Conwell pointed out that suicide touches numerous professions, which is why it’s so beneficial that the document is available to a multidisciplinary audience. Further, important research on suicide can be found in a variety of journals devoted to areas of study other than psychiatry, such as anthropology, epidemiology, and public health. “The value of this document lies in bringing that together as much as possible in one place and keeping it updated over time,” he said.

Jacobs has dedicated his life not just to the study of suicide assessment and treatment, but also to public outreach for individuals experiencing depression or suicidal ideation. He developed the concept of large-scale mental health screening for mental disorders in the early 1990s and founded National Depression Screening Day. National Depression Screening Day, which is held every October, is supported by numerous mental health organizations, and encourages the inclusion of depression screening into routine care. He also created the SAFE-T (Suicide Assessment Five-step Evaluation and Triage), a guide that clinicians in emergency departments and inpatient units can use when they encounter patients at risk of suicide.

He created his website, Stop A Suicide Today (www.stopasuicide.org), to be a free resource for those at risk of suicide and their loved ones. In developing that website, Jacobs wanted to create a resource specifically for professionals, which led him to develop the “Current Status of Suicide-Focused Assessment and Treatment” along with Klein-Benheim.

Clinicians are increasingly asked to do more in their daily practice, Jacobs noted. “I work with suicidal patients myself, which makes me realize the complexity of our practice and appreciate the vast amount of useful clinical information that is available in evidence-based literature but is time consuming for the practicing clinician to easily access,” he said. “This document is a labor of love in an effort to help in that endeavor, and I do feel committed to making this available to everyone.” ■