Table 1 Prevention health measures and corresponding to stages of disease. Adapted from Kisling and Das [13].
From: Suicide prevention, public health, and the chiropractic profession: a call to action
| Natural history stage | Prevention health measure | Definition | Suicide prevention specific example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Underlying | Primordial prevention | Risk factor reduction targeted towards an entire population through focus on social and environmental conditions | Government policy (i.e. lethal means) |
| Susceptible | Primary prevention | Measures aimed at a susceptible population or individual prior to the occurrence of disease; healthy individuals |
Health promotion Suicide prevention education to college students at risk for suicide attempts. Assessing infrastructure for jumping points in military and veteran health care facilities |
| Subclinical | Secondary prevention | Early disease detection and its target is healthy-appearing individuals with subclinical forms of the disease; screenings; seeks to prevent the onset of disease |
PCP performs routine screening for suicide risk factors Treatment for depression or associated risk factor for self-directed violence Crisis counseling for a community after a suicide |
| Clinical | Tertiary prevention | Implemented in symptomatic patients and aims to reduce the severity of the disease as well as any associated sequelae; rehabilitation efforts |
Crisis counseling Inpatient rehabilitation after a suicidal act |
| Recovery/disability/death | Quaternary prevention | An action taken to protect individuals from medical interventions (over-medicalization) that are likely to cause more harm than good |
Ongoing services for the after-effects and consequences of suicide Resources such as suicide survivor support groups |