“Best Practices for suicide prevention”

Mental disorder was present in 90% of the 700,000 completed suicides worldwide; depression is one of the most associated with suicidal behavior.

The EAAD-Best Project is an initiative of the European Alliance Against Depression (EAA) to improve the treatment of depression and prevent suicide through community interventions. In Spain, this project is coordinated by the Mental Health Network Biomedical Research Center (CIBERSAM), under the responsibility of Víctor Pérez Sola.

The EAAD has designed an intervention program, recognized in the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Green Paper of the European Commission on Mental Health under the name: Best Practices for the prevention of suicide.

The intervention carries out specific actions at four levels, to improve care for depression and suicide prevention. The levels and objectives of the intervention are presented below.

The strategy has already been launched in 120 regions of 15 countries inside and outside the EU, including three Spanish Communities: Andalusia, the Valencian Community and Galicia, under the coordination of CIBERSAM researchers. 

With this research and intervention project in mental health, the aim is not only to improve the treatment of depression and prevent suicide, but also to promote the search for help by affected people, improve education, and reduce stigma in health mental.