Can we identify people who are at high risk for ending their own lives and get them the help they need? The answer is Yes. We can. It is now possible to more accurately spot these individuals and effectively intervene than it has ever been. This hopeful answer is especially important today in the wake of an increase in suicide.
In fact, last week the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a gradual climb in the suicide rate and in calls to suicide hot lines during the recession years of 2007-2008. There is a popular misconception that a single event — in this case the recession — is usually responsible for driving a person to kill him/herself. However, it is certainly true that one triggering event, such as losing one’s job or home, may well be “the straw that breaks the camel’s back” in a person’s lifelong struggle against destructive ways of thinking and ineffective ways of coping with stress. “Myth-busting” is vital to suicide prevention because unfortunately issues of suicide and mental illness are still stigmatized in our society, which has led to the spreading of considerable misinformation about these topics.
Dr. Lisa Firestone, PhD, is the Director of Research and Education for The Glendon Association. Since 1987, she has been involved in clinical training and applied research in suicide and violence. In collaboration with Dr. Robert Firestone, her studies resulted in the development of the 
