Suicide Prevention in Primary Care

This special interest group (SIG) will provide the platform for bringing together a cross-disciplinary group of researchers, clinicians, people with lived experience, commissioners and policy-makers to identify opportunities for optimising the role of primary care and community-based services in suicide prevention.

Objectives

1. Develop an international, cross-disciplinary network of researchers, clinicians, people with lived experience, commissioners and policy-makers dedicated to the study and prevention of suicide in primary care.
2. Work in collaboration with our network members to identify research priorities that will inform the work of this SIG, informed by patient and public input.
3. Facilitate international collaborative grant applications (e.g. Global Challenges Research Fund) to progress international comparative research, prevention and policy in this area.
4. Use research resulting from the SIG to facilitate impact in policy and practice at a national and international scale.
5. Disseminate (e.g. conferences, online workshops, webinars, peer-reviewed publications) the work of the SIG in order to raise awareness of the key role of primary care in the prevention of suicide.
6. Act as an expert reference group for individuals and organisations seeking information in relation to suicide prevention in primary care.

Planned On-going Activities

• Set up and gradually grow SIG membership by attracting new IASP members but also consolidating links with existing IASP members.
• Set up annual meetings with SIG members to report SIG progress and review ongoing work.
• Through virtual workshops and/or webinars, identify SIG research priorities and plan grant pipeline to facilitate collaborative research across different countries and contexts.
• Develop a dissemination plan in line with SIG objectives and priorities.

Planned activities for 2019/20

• Set up an inaugural SIG meeting to take place at the upcoming European Suicide and Suicidal Behaviour conference in Rome, September 2020.
• Produce a SIG position statement (e.g. Crisis journal) on the role of primary care in suicide prevention introducing the new IASP SIG.