Promoting Hope, Preventing Suicide

Research and advice on preventing teen and adult suicide.

by Elana Premack Sandler, L.C.S.W., M.P.H.

Elana Premack Sandler, LCSW, MPH, is a public health social worker specializing in violence and injury prevention and adolescent health promotion. See full bio

August 12, 2009

What is the role of survivor stories in suicide prevention?

When I started writing this blog, I wrestled with whether or not to disclose that I have personally been touched by suicide. Today is the best day for me to do that, the day that I feel most connected to that loss, the day that I most identify as a survivor. Read More

August 4, 2009

Boy, Interrupted: A story of mental illness and suicide

Today, HBO airs "Boy, Interrupted," a documentary which tells the story of a young man's experience with mental illness and his mother's struggle to provide him with the support he needs. Read More

July 28, 2009

Is it the economy, really?

If we just blame the economy for these events, we might gloss over the fact that not everyone who experiences a financial loss or sudden unemployment kills his family and himself. Read More

July 20, 2009

Tailoring Suicide Prevention for the Legal Community

The general idea of a program may have a solid base, but without some tweaks to make it fit perfectly, it just might not work for real people.

July 13, 2009

Can suicide prevention happen after a suicide?

A suicide is most definitely a loss and a tragedy. But, the way a community responds following a suicide can be an opening for a prevention response, a beacon built from the heartbreak.

July 9, 2009

What might Michael Jackson and Boston weather have in common?

Where I live, in Boston, Massachusetts, it has been gloomy for what feels like forever. However tempted I might be to try to write about a link between crummy weather and suicide risk, I'd rather focus on something with a little bit of evidence behind it.

July 2, 2009

Self-Injury: Addiction? Parasuicide? Cry for Help? Or None of the Above?

Non-suicidal self-injury strikes me as one of those mysteries of human behavior. The purpose of self-injury is not to cause permanent damage to the body; self-injury is not always intentional self-mutilation. Yet, the outcome of self-injury is often a permanent mark. Read More

June 24, 2009

The Real World Now: Constant Uncertainty

What is the effect of this shifting landscape on the mental health of emerging adults?

June 17, 2009

If You Build it, Will They Stop Coming?

Why is beauty a more important value than safety? One of the reasons cited by those who wanted the safety barriers removed was that the barriers were "visually unattractive and detracted from the heritage status of the bridge." Read More

June 9, 2009

Is “Mental” Making Psych. Look Bad?

What does this presentation say about the expectations and impressions the public has for and of mental health practitioners? Read More

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