Suicide rates are near the highest rates in history, and suicide is the 11^th-leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Associated Press.

And since nearly everyone who dies by suicide is seen by a health care provider at some point in the year prior to their death, the healthcare system must play a key role in reversing this troubling trend.

That’s why we’re encouraged by a recent study that looked at the “Zero Suicide Model” as applied in healthcare systems. The results are clear: the “Zero Suicide” approach has the potential to save lives by protecting patients who are at their most vulnerable.

What is the Zero Suicide Model?

The “Zero Suicide Model” was first developed in 2001 at Henry Ford Health, a healthcare system based in Detroit. The model takes a two-step approach to treating patients who are considering suicide: first, reduce their access to lethal means, and second, follow up with treatment.

The first step is critical. Suicide may be an impulsive decision, so whether lethal means are immediately at hand can be a matter of life or death. And limiting access to firearms is particularly important because firearms are much more lethal than other commonly used suicide methods, such as pills or cutting.

The second step, follow-up treatment, is just as vital. Effective treatment along the entire continuum of care can help people at risk of suicide build their resilience, cultivate their support networks, and relieve symptoms of underlying mental health conditions that increase the risk of dying by suicide.

What the study said about the Zero Suicide Model

The first test of the Zero Suicide Model was at the healthcare system that created it, Henry Ford. As the Associated Press reported, it made a difference there: in 2009, for instance, the health system saw no suicides among its patients.

Researchers then studied the effects of the Zero Suicide Model at another health system, Kaiser Permanente, which adopted the program in four locations from 2012 through 2019. The results at Kaiser were just as encouraging: three of the locations saw reductions in suicides and suicide attempts, up to 25%. The fourth location maintained its already-low rate of suicide deaths and attempts.

The study results represent a large slice of the U.S. population: the health care systems studied see a combined 10 million patients per year, according to the study. Still, further research is needed to examine how the Zero Suicide Model can best be implemented in other health settings.

Healthcare providers have a responsibility to protect their patients from death by suicide

The Zero Suicide Model represents an encouraging step forward for suicide prevention in the healthcare system. It also highlights both the power and the responsibility healthcare providers have to protect their patients from death by suicide. If doctors and other medical professionals take proactive steps to screen patients for suicide risk and implement appropriate interventions to mitigate that risk, lives will be saved. When they don’t meet that responsibility, we hold them accountable.

The Law Offices of Skip Simpson is proud to represent families who have lost loved ones to suicide completion throughout the United States. If you have lost a loved one to a suicide caused by negligence, give us a call or contact us online for a free consultation.