International Association for Suicide Prevention - Home - IASP

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 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.

Upcoming IASP Events

10 September, 2018
World Suicide Prevention Day
Working Together to Prevent Suicide

Sign up for updates on World Suicide Prevention Day and the International Association for Suicide Prevention.

17 - 21 September, 2019
30th IASP World Congress
Breaking Down Walls and Building Bridges
Derry-Londonderry, Northern Ireland

IASP World Congress 2019

View Non-IASP Upcoming Events.

Coalition Lead and contact in USA: Dr. Dan Reidenberg 612-741-1354, dreidenberg@save.org

Contact for International Association: Prof. Ella Arensman + 353 (0) 21 420 5541, ella.arensman@ucc.ie

INTERNATIONAL COALITION OF EXPERTS ISSUES AN ALERT REGARDING RELEASE OF 13 REASONS WHY, SEASON 2

May 16, 2018. In 2017 Netflix released 13 Reasons Why to a global audience and extensive concern on the part of experts. A study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association found a significant increase in internet searches on suicide following the release of season 1. As a result and in preparation for the release of season 2 on May 18, 2018, an international coalition of leading experts in education, mental health and suicide prevention have released concerns and recommendations to youth, parents, educators and clinicians/professionals.

"We want to make sure the public is aware and prepared for the release of season 2 so that they can be informed and available to youth who want to talk about the issues in the series, as well as for those youth who struggle with the content" said Dr. Dan Reidenberg, Executive Director of SAVE who lead the coalition. "While we hope that the series will encourage important conversations and more positive, healthy behaviors, we also are concerned that the series could have negative outcomes for some youth."

The coalition of nonprofits, educational and research institutions, membership organizations, advocacy groups and professionals issued the statement urging adults to make an effort to watch the series with youth and to talk with them about the issues raised in the show. The full statement can be found at www.13reasonswhytoolkit.org.

Research demonstrates that depictions of violence and self-harm can increase the likelihood of copycat behaviors. Adolescents are a vulnerable group and are highly impressionable, frequently copying others' behaviors or reacting in response to things they have seen. Such copycat and harmful behaviors displayed on television and/or in film can lead to harmful outcomes. "Season 1 included detailed portrayal of suicide, violence and it represented adults and professionals in a non-caring manner," according to Dr. Murad Khan, President of the International Association for Suicide Prevention. "By creating a toolkit for young people, adults and professionals, we can demonstrate constructive and positive coping skills and encourage recovery and hope."

In order to help reduce the risk of suicide contagion, the coalition implores media covering this story to be cautious and follow international messaging recommendations when reporting on the topic of suicide:

In all media reports, it is important to include factual information on suicide rates, warning signs of youth suicide (www.youthsuicidewarningsigns.org), as well as information on helplines and support services for adolescents and concerned parents.

When reporting on mass shootings, media are encouraged to follow recommendations found at:

www.reportingonmassshootings.org

An overview of helplines and support services for people in distress in different countries, can be accessed via: www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres

International Coalition Partners
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
American Association of Suicidology
American Psychiatric Association
Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention
British Psychological Society
Danish Research Institute for Suicide Prevention
International Association for Suicide Prevention
International Academy for Suicide Research
Medical University of Vienna, Center for Public Health, Dept of Social and Preventive Medicine
Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand
National Association of School Psychologists
National Council for Behavioral Health
National Suicide Research Foundation, Ireland
Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Australia
Samaritans/Befriender's Worldwide
Stanford Psychiatry's Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing
School of Public Health, University College Cork, Ireland
Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide
Suicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory, University of Glasgow, Scotland
Suicide Awareness Voices of Education
The Jason Foundation
The Jed Foundation (JED)
The Lancet Psychiatry
The Trevor Project

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News

Click here to download our February 2018 News Bulletin

IASP President Professor Murad Khan introduces the first 2018 issue of the IASP news bulletin. In reflecting on 2017 activities, he notes growth in activities, increasing membership and that start of new SIGs and working groups. Professor Khan extends a warm invitation to the 8th IASP Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Suicide Prevention

Find a book review of "Postvention in Action: The International Handbook of Suicide Bereavement Support," that includes contributions from leading experts from around the world that address the complex and extensive field at hand. The handbook presents the state-of-art of suicide bereavement support and will be of great value for the clinician, researcher, lecturer, and policymaker who wishes to be updated on postvention research and practice.

Learn about Nomenclature Special Interest Group that aspires to generate an internationally-standardized nomenclature on all terms within the area of suicidology, inclusive of death wishes, assisted suicide and bereavement, which may render research more comparable across the globe.

Documentary filmmmaker William Feigelman offers a reflective piece about two Korean women who visited other suivivors of suicide, noting the experiences of the bereaved Korean women was similar to that of their American counterparts. Browse to find a download link of the film Farewell Too Soon.

Shares a surveillance success story of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) that set out to improve its system wide surveillance of suicide deaths to inform prevention activities.

IASP Early Career Group offers a review of recent activities such a its first Twitter questions and answer session with Professor Ellen Townsend on January 23rd.

Discover World Suicide Prevention Cycle Around the Globe awards given for Greatest Team Distance Cycled and Greatest Individual Distance Cycled.

Read to learn more about the 51st Annual AAS Conference, IASP Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Suicide Prevention, The European Symposium on Suicide and Suicidal Behaviour (ESSSB17) and the 26th European Psychiatric Association Congress.

Download the inaugural edition of Engage -the Early Career Group newsletter, that introduces this new and growing IASP group. Read to find information on upcoming conferences or to discover features and snapshot pieces from early career persons working in the area of suicidology.