Summary

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide kills more than 32,000 Americans each year, making it the 11th leading cause of death in the country. In addition, roughly 395,000 people are admitted to emergency rooms with self-inflicted injuries each year.

The Truth About Suicide provides A-to-Z coverage of issues relating to suicidal behavior—from root causes and warning signs to related mental illness and suicide prevention. Written in straightforward language, this new resource offers an index, glossary, further reading, and Web sites to guide additional exploration of this important topic.

Entries include:

• Biology of suicidal behavior
• Families and other survivors
• Mental illness and suicide
• Prevalence and epidemiology
• Risk and protective factors for suicide
• Self-injurious behavior
• Stress and suicide 
• Suicide prevention 
• Warning signs.

Specifications

Charts and graphs. Index. Glossary. Further reading. Web sites. Hotlines. 

About the Author(s)

Donna Holland Barnes, Ph.D., is a research associate and professor at Howard University's Psychiatry Department in Washington, D.C., where she teaches suicide risk management to residents and third-year medical students. Barnes also serves on the national board of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and has conducted extensive research of families who have lost someone to suicide.