Journal of affective disorders
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Suicide is a major health problem, showing an increasing tendency in many developed countries. In this synthetic review, having briefly described the possible risk factors of suicide, those recent strategies that have been proved to be effective methods of reducing the suicide rate are summarised. ⋯ Training health-care workers in order to increase their knowledge on the means of suicide prevention and educating patients so as to improve their compliance is highly beneficial. Since health care professionals can help only those patients who contact them, public education on the symptoms, dangers and the treatable nature of depression, other psychiatric illnesses and psychological crises becomes also very important.