Suicide (taking one’s own life) is a serious public health problem that devastates individuals, families, and communities. It is the 11th leading cause of death among Americans (Anderson and Smith 2003). Completed suicides are only part of the problem. More people are hospitalized or treated and released as a result of suicide attempts than are fatally injured. While suicide is often viewed as a response to a single stressful event, it is a far more complicated issue. Suicide results from complex interactions between biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors.
