Suicidal behaviours in adolescents and adults : research, taxonomy and prevention

The chapters in this study reflect 15 years of research in the Canadian province of Alberta, a region which has the highest suicide rate in young males in Canada.

The book attempts to answer questions such as: what meanings and values do contrasted groups attach to the concept of suicide?; is the greater prevalence of suicidal behaviour in the young reflected in the meanings they attach to suicidal actions?; are young people experiencing more stress than the older generation?; do some forms of child abuse, particularly sexual abuse, have a sequel in suicidal behaviours and related mental health problems in young adult women, and in adolescent males and females; are the struggles for homosexual identity associated with suicidal behaviours in young males; and the role of poor self-esteem.In addition it asks: can this causal chain of events be reversed by therapeutic intervention which uses group counselling to increase self-esteem and enhance social support?; are Aboriginal people in the Province of Alberta at special risk for suicide; are their sub-types of suicide which imply different kinds of preventive and treatment strategies?; has the increase in the male youth suicide rate been associated with an increase in diagnosable psychiatric disorders?; how can knowledge about suicide in high rate area be translated into a comprehensive strategy of suicide prevention education; and do telephone crisis lines and crisis centres prevent suicidal behaviours?.