CRISIS CENTERS AND THEIR ROLE IN TREATMENT - SUICIDE-PREVENTION VERSUS HEALTH PROMOTION

Suicide is a major health problem. In the industrialized nations, it r emains among the 10 leading causes of death. There has been a massive effort to reduce suicide mortality through establishment of prevention centers. These centers have proliferated despite a lack of evidence c oncerning their efficacy The development and evaluation of suicide pre vention centers, primarily community-based, telephone interventions, a re discussed. The evidence regarding the effectiveness of suicide prev ention centers and the presence of a causal relationship between expos ure to crisis counseling and a reduction in suicide rates is reviewed. Some cautions and recommendations are made. Finally, a model of healt h promotion program planning and evaluation is examined in the context of suicide prevention.