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2023-08-14
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Issue Briefs
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Copyright (c) 2023 Nicholas Hable, MPH
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Suicide prevention policy: a framework for Minnesota
Nicholas Hable, MPH
University of Minnesota Medical School
Abstract
Suicide rates have been steadily increasing for the last two decades in the United States, which is a trend that has also been observed in Minnesota. Suicide is now one of the leading causes of death for Minnesotans, and specific populations such as Native Americans, older adults, and white men living in rural areas have been disproportionately impacted. Interventions aimed at preventing suicide have historically focused on downstream interventions, but these often overlook the root causes of suicidal ideations. A new approach focused on creating a suicide prevention policy for the Minnesota Medical Association, the largest physician advocacy organization in Minnesota, is assessed and proposed in this issue brief. The framework for the policy was created through examination of the upstream, midstream, and downstream factors that impact suicide rates in Minnesota. As a result of this research, Minnesota Medical Association members and the Board of Trustees approved the proposed framework, formally adopting their first ever suicide prevention policy.
