[Neuro- and social psychiatric aspects of suicide prevention]

On the basis of extensive research in the Bundesland Salzburg the problem of assessing suicidality is focused upon. The employment of the Suicide-Axis-Syndrom (1. overt or covert suicidality, 2. diagnosis of one or more axis-syndroms after Berner, 3. suicide-positive family history), which the author proposed 1981, requires neuropsychiatric and diagnostic knowledge. Therefore physicians take a key position in the recognition and treatment of potential suicide patients. The typical suicide candidate turns away from others and seeks no more help immediately before the suicide. Institutions for suicide prevention which have soley a socialpsychiatric-psychodynamic orientation have had no notable influence on the reduction of the suicide rate.