Biological,
psychological, social, and cultural factors all have significant
impact on the risk of suicide. But, there are also
factors that can help to protect an individual from suicide
risk.
Protective
factors are skills, cultural beliefs, lifestyle choices, and
experiences that help to build diverse ways of protection
against suicidal thought and actions.
Despite
the extensive knowledge that research has provided regarding
protective factors, we are still far from being able to understand
how protective factors work together to prevent suicidal thoughts
and behaviors.
Protective
factors include (References 1-3):
Social
support: Strong connections to family and community
Resiliency
Participation
in religious/spiritual activities...
Electronic, print, and multimedia
resources are provided to help you to find additional authoritative
information on Protective factors for suicide and suicidal behaviors.
These resources are available from such national organizations
as The National Institute of Mental Health as well as professional
organizations, not-for-profit organizations, and educational
institutions.
Internet
National
Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
The
NIMH is the primary National Institute of Health organization
for research on suicide and suicide prevention. The
NIMH offers specific resources, research, tools, and reports
for individuals in helping roles, health care professionals,
and researchers interested in learning more about suicide
and suicide prevention.
The
NIMH provides a Web page with information about protective
factors and the general subject of suicide. The NIMH
Web page is titled In Harm's Way: Suicide in America
and is available at the following Web address:
