MHSA Interventions by Impact - Goal 2.3

Goal 2.3: Prevent suicides among youth and adults
NOTE: Mental Emotional Behavioral (MEB) disorder prevention includes substance abuse prevention and other MEB disorder prevention.
Levels of Health Impact Pyramid * Interventions
Counseling and Education
  • Adopt mission/vision of zero suicide in health care.
  • Orient/train workforce for suicide prevention intervention and care.
  • Implement proven suicide prevention practices including screening for risk, pathways to care, interventions that are effective against suicide and follow-up after acute treatment.
Long-Lasting Protective Interventions
  • Establish reporting and advertising policies that do not stigmatize MEB disorders.
  • Offer resources to for social support, resiliency training and problem-solving skills to individuals and their networks.
Changing the Context to Make Individuals' Decisions Healthy
  • Reduce access to lethal means to make it less likely that a person will engage in suicidal behaviors.
  • Reduce stigma regarding mental health issues and suicide.
Socioeconomic Factors
  • Advocate for addressing the common protective factors, such as poverty and exposure to violence and protective factors, such as parent engagement and social connectedness.

* Frieden T., "A Framework for Public Health Action: The Health Impact Pyramid". American Journal of Public Health. 2010; 100(4): 590-595

Note: The Prevention Agenda 2013-2017 has been extended to 2018 to align its timeline with other state and federal health care reform initiatives.

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