Welcome!
The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) is dedicated to:
- preventing suicidal behaviour,
- alleviating its effects, and
- providing a forum for academics, mental health professionals, crisis workers, volunteers and suicide survivors.
Founded by the late Professor Erwin Ringel and Dr. Norman Farberow in 1960, IASP now includes professionals and volunteers from more than fifty different countries. IASP is a Non-Governmental Organization in official relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO) concerned with suicide prevention.
If you are feeling suicidal or know of someone who needs help, browse Help to find a crisis center anywhere in the world.
News
New General Secretary
Dr. Tony Davis has been elected General Secretary of the IASP. You can read his biographical profile by clicking here.
New IASP-WHO Publications!
Two publications are now available for download:
(1) The updated media guidelines completed by the IASP Media Task force: Preventing Suicide: a Resource for Media Professionals
(2) The revised booklet prepared by the IASP Postvention Task Force: How to Start a Survivors' Group
Four Suicide and the Media Guidelines have been added:
- Mindframe: Mental Illness and Suicide - A Resource for Stage and Screen
- Mindframe: Mental Illness and Suicide in the Media - A Resource for Courts
- Mindframe: Mental Illness and Suicide in the Media - A Resource for Police
- Mindframe: Suicide and Mental Illness in the Media
Download our latest newsletter
President Lanny Berman pens an article about how the search for simple solutions to suicide prevention and intervention is problematic as suicide is an immensely complicated behavior, multifactorial caused and not subject to easy solution. He writes, "we have so much to do and we have an imperative to mobilize supports and demobilize barriers to effectively make the difference we wish to make. We are not going to accomplish much if we apply simple solutions to complex problems." He continues, "there is but one day in the year where we all should be as active as possible to make the road ahead just a bit easier to travel and the targets of our efforts more achievable. IASP greatly looks forward to an international effort on World Suicide Prevention Day. Thank you in advance for participating in that."
National Representative Professor Kees van Heeringen discusses suicide prevention in Belgium and notes that the Flemish government has initiated and supported a suicide prevention action plan that is based on five strategies, including 1. Mental health promotion at individual and societal levels 2. Promotion of telehelp 3. Promotion of the competence of professionals and the optimising networks 4. Improve quality of media reports of suicide and decrease availability of guns 5. Specific attention to a) Suicide attempters, b) Early detection and diagnosis of psychiatric disorders such a schizophrenia c) Decrease occurrence of relapse in depressive disorder d) Children of parents with psychiatric disorders e) Gay and lesbian individuals and communities f) Suicide survivors.
Dr Daniel J. Reidenberg provides an overview of suicide prevention in the USA, offering statistics revealing that males continue to surpass females in deaths (4:1), while female attempts occur at a greater rate (3-4:1). Browse to read more about suicide rates and learn about positive initatives that being carried out.
Details a national seminar on suicide, in Pakistan, entitled, "Suicide: Hidden Realities in Pakistan," that was hosted by Aga Khan University and the Suicide Prevention Research Interest Group (SPRInG at AKU) in collaboration with John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and organized by Dr Muhammad Shahid, a Fellow in Injury Prevention, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, AKU.
Professor Dan Rujescu, Chair of the IASP Task Force on Genetics and Neurobiology of Suicide shares that the major goals of this Task Force are to promote studies of genetic aspects of suicide ideation and behaviour among suicidologists on one side, and to promote genetic studies of suicide ideation and behaviour among behavioural geneticists on the other. Browse for contact details.
Offers previews of the 13th European Symposium of Suicide and Suicidal Behaviour which will be held on September, 1st to 4th in Rome, and the the 4th Asia Pacific Regional Conference of the International Association for Suicide Prevention to be held in Brisbane, Australia, from 17 - 20 November, 2010.
Read an obituary on Michel Hanus who was a was a pioneer in the development of programmes for bereaved persons and specifically suicide survivors in France and the European Community.
Download our latest Postvention Newsletter
Download the July 2010 newsletter of the IASP Task Force on Suicide Postvention or Bereavement. Browse to read:
- Survivor Story: Details Alive and Kicking Goals, a grass roots, innovative initiative to educate, inspire and model to young people in Kimberley communities, in Western Australia, that offers alternatives to suicide by helping young people create a future of hope through positive relationships and life choices.
- Offers an overview of the Plenary and Symposia due to take place at the 13th ESSSB Conference this September in Rome.
- Find new publications relating to suicide survivors and bereavement.
- Susan Beaton, of Lifeline Australia, offers an article entitled, "Australia Develops Suicide Bereavement Support Group Standards & Guidelines.
- View Upcoming Events and contact details.
Upcoming Events
1-4 September, 2010
13th European Symposium on Suicide and Suicide Behaviour
Rome, Italy
Integrating Knowledge for an Interdisciplinary Approach to Suicidology and Suicide Prevention
Click here to download the 13th ESSSB flyer.
The major aim of the 13th ESSSB is to investigate possible modalities and paths of integration between research, prevention and treatment of suicidal behaviour.
The scientific program will comprise plenary lectures with invited international experts in the field of suicidology and suicide prevention, CME courses, workshops and symposia. All participants are invited to submit proposals for parallel sessions and abstracts for free communications and posters.
There will also be a rich social program, for all participants, where it will be possible to choose between several cultural and recreational activities.
10 September, 2010
World Suicide Prevention Day - Many Places: Many Faces: Suicide Prevention Across the World
Please click here to go to the World Suicide Prevention Day main page.
Click here to find World Suicide Prevention Day banners now available in 41 languages.
Please download our Suggested World Suicide Prevention Day Activities sheet.
Click here to go to the World Suicide Prevention Day Activities submission form.
Please click here to read about World Suicide Prevention Day activities throughout the world.
Visit the IASP Facebook Event page by clicking here.
Click here to download the World Suicide Prevention Day Brochure.
World Suicide Prevention Day begins in
17-20 November, 2010
4th IASP Asia Pacific Regional Conference
Brisbane, Australia
Suicide Prevention: A Dialogue Across Disciplines and Cultures
13-17 September, 2011
XXVI IASP World Congress
Beijing, China
