| Abstract [eng] |
Suicide is a topic of great relevance. According to the World Health Organization, every year, 703,000 individuals die by suicide. Hence, most countries have a national suicide prevention program as well as local organizations working in the prevention of suicide. One of such countries is Israel. Therefore, this literature review on suicide prevention in Israel focuses on the model of suicide prevention and possibilities for improvement. A comprehensive evaluation of the current model – the National Suicide Prevention Program - of suicide prevention was undertaken. The findings were compared to recommendations made by the World Health Organization (WHO). Additionally, several local suicide prevention efforts were evaluated. Here a particular emphasis was placed on the Suicide Prevention Program of the Israeli Defense Forces. To assess for possible improvements, the current achievements and challenges were evaluated. Therefore, a variety of research on achievements and publications on suicide prevention by Israeli authors were analyzed. Hereby, several possibilities for improvement have been found, especially when focusing on the risk groups, for example, the LGBTQ community, the elderly, and those bereaved. The aim of this literature review was to evaluate the achievements of the established suicide prevention programs and identify opportunities for improvement in Israel. Especially the recommended model proposed by the World Health Organization has been greatly implemented into the Israeli suicide prevention strategy. However, several aspects for improvement have been identified, such as improvements in the implementation of media guidelines, improved screening for at-risk individuals, and the establishment of programs for risk groups. Further restrictions and enhancements in current measures, such as the gatekeeper trainings and the restriction of weapons, are also needed. Recommendations for online prevention as well as for prevention in times of crisis were made. |
