On suicide and suicide prevention as a public health issue.

Suicide is becoming one of the major causes of death especially amongst men. In Europe suicide is the second most common cause of death in the ages of 15-44 years. For women in the same age group suicide is the fourth most common cause of death. Suicide causes a lot of suffering not only in the victim but also in persons close to him. As the causative factors are complex, and suicide also costs the community a lot of money suicide and self destructive behavior must be considered an important public health issue. A couple of models which are helpful when trying to develop treatment and preventive strategies for suicided persons are presented. The basic principles for contemporary suicide prevention programmes are also described.