​The New Mexico Suicide Prevention Coalition is aware that the healthcare system, via various levels of involvement and support, plays a critical role in preventing suicide.

Primary Prevention:
  • Education and Awareness: Healthcare providers and organizations raise awareness about the signs of suicide, risk factors, and available resources to the general public.
  • Screening: Primary care doctors, school counselors, and other healthcare professionals conduct routine screenings for mental health concerns, including suicidal thoughts, to identify individuals at risk.

Early Intervention:
  • Identification: Healthcare providers, educators, and even community members are trained to recognize signs of distress and suicidal ideation in individuals and refer them to appropriate services.
  • Access to Mental Health Care: The healthcare system facilitates access to mental health services, therapy, counseling, and medications for individuals in need.

Crisis Intervention:
  • Emergency Care: Hospitals and emergency departments are equipped to handle individuals in acute crisis, providing immediate care and stabilization.
  • Crisis Helplines: Healthcare systems often have crisis hotlines or collaborate with national helplines to offer immediate support to individuals in distress.

Treatment and Management:
  • Psychiatric Care: Individuals identified as at risk of suicide may receive specialized psychiatric care, therapy, and medication management.
  • Supportive Therapies: Behavioral therapies, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and other evidence-based treatments are provided to help manage suicidal ideation and underlying mental health conditions.

Collaboration and Continuity of Care:
  • Multi-Disciplinary Teams: Healthcare professionals collaborate with mental health specialists, social workers, and community organizations to create comprehensive treatment plans.
  • Follow-Up: After a crisis, individuals are often provided with follow-up care to ensure their well-being and continued support.

Outreach and Public Health Initiatives:
  • Community Programs: Healthcare systems engage in community-based initiatives to promote mental health awareness, educate individuals, and reduce stigma.
  • School Programs: Collaborations with schools aim to provide students and educators with tools to recognize and respond to mental health concerns.

Research and Policy Advocacy:
  • Data Collection: Healthcare systems contribute to collecting data on suicide rates, risk factors, and outcomes, which helps inform prevention strategies.
  • Policy Development: Healthcare organizations advocate for policies that support mental health services, increase access to care, and improve mental health parity.

Postvention Support:
  • Grief Counseling: Healthcare systems offer support to families and communities affected by a suicide loss, helping them cope with the aftermath.
  • Preventing Contagion: Healthcare professionals work to prevent "suicide contagion"; by providing guidance on responsible media reporting and messaging after a suicide.

By addressing suicide prevention at various levels and collaborating with mental health professionals, communities, and policymakers, the healthcare system plays a pivotal role in reducing the incidence of suicide and promoting mental well-being.

Preventing suicide among health care professionals | AFSP
Suicide among physicians and health-care workers: A systematic review and meta-analysis - PubMed
(nih.gov)
Taking Suicide Prevention into Primary Care Settings | NIH HEAL Initiative
Suicide Prevention: An Emerging Priority For Health Care | Health Affairs
Zero Suicide Toolkit | SAMHSA

Contact the Healthcare Workgroup

Elise Clemens
[email protected]
Office: (505) 880-8882 x6977
Office: (505) 855-6977 (direct)
Cell: (505) 515-5341 (preferred)