Suicide prevention in adolescents and young adults: the Geneva University Hospitals' Program

In Switzerland, suicide has become the leading cause of death among the 15- to 24-year-olds. All strategies aiming at preventing suicide are most challenging, but few have demonstrated efficacy. In Geneva, we founded a Unit for Suicide Prevention as a joint venture between the Geneva University Hospitals and a charitable foundation called "Children Action." Our prevention program duplicates prevention strategies that are known to be effective: tutorials for health professionals and postvention aimed at those who have been exposed to a suicide (or suicide attempt) of a family member or a friend. But it also introduces a new strategy: a hotline for all those in the community who are in contact with a suicidal adolescent. This paper describes our experiences.