[Suicide prevention strategy and recent data on treatment of depression: obstacles encountered]

Until recently, national strategies have not demonstrated their effectiveness in preventing suicide. A recent series of studies have shown that more aggressive treatment of depression in the population is associated with a significant reduction in the rate of suicide. Proof that a population-based strategy for preventing suicide can be effective should be demonstrating that an etiological factor can be identified on the population level and on the individual level and that this causal factor can be corrected on the individual level. Pertinent data can be put forward and in general demonstrate that treatment of depression is an effective means of preventing suicide on the population level.