Suicide Prevention

Over 700,000 people are lost to suicide every year, and many more are affected by suicide and suicidal behaviors. The urgent need to act to prevent suicide is recognized and prioritized in UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Good Health and Well-Being, which targets the reduction of global suicide rates by one third.

Suicide is a serious public health issue, and preventing suicides and reducing their risk are complex endeavors, that require planning and strategizing on all levels of society. Research from a variety of disciplines contributes to the understanding of suicide and its prevention, and is the foundation of actionable, evidence-based policies and strategies.

Below you will find a special compilation of expert insights, blog posts, book chapters, and articles on this complex, multi-factorial challenge. This selection of research was carefully curated to offer a broad view of suicide, support the identification of suicide risk, and advance practices and strategies for suicide prevention. Explore meaningful and impactful content, that supports researchers and practitioners, and also raises awareness and reduces stigma of suicide.

Explore More

Featured journals

Blogs by our authors & editors - opinion leaders in their fields

Suicide during the COVID-19 in Japan

onthly suicide rates in Japan declined by 14% during the first five months of the COVID-19 pandemic, but increased by 16% in the second wave.

World Suicide Prevention Day 2023

The Supporting Adolescents with Self-Harm (SASH) study

Accelerated epigenetic aging in women with emotionally unstable personality disorder and a history of suicide attempts

Suicides among Black People May Be Vastly Undercounted

Ian Rockett has spent much of his career working closely with coroners and medical examiners researching the epidemiology of suicide.

Re-visioning male suicide through a social determinants lens

Rob Whitley argues for a better framework to understand and address male suicide as discussed in his upcoming book Men’s Issues and Men’s Mental Health.

Critical Care Doctors Are in Crisis

This opinion article highlights the high rate of burnout and suicidal ideation among critical care health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, so is highly relevant and timely.

Reducing self-harm and suicide in autistic adults

In a blog for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, Emma Nielsen and Jane Goodwin discuss the use of safety plans to suicide for autistic adults.

Your work here: Information for Authors

Getting started publishing your SDG 3 work at Springer Nature is easy. Springer Nature aspires to lead in publishing SDG research, and especially in open access (OA) SDG research.

You can add impact and power to your SDG-related research when you publish it at Springer Nature, and alongside leading research (like the examples above). Research published OA at Springer Nature gets more exposure. For example, research published in fully OA Springer Nature journals are downloaded over 7,000 times on average (up to 5x more than competitors) and cited 7.39 times on average.

Publishing with Springer Nature gives you:

A range of journals, from Nature, Springer, and BMC, both hybrid and OA. The journals with SDG content curated above are a small selection of journals you can publish in. Clicking through on them will give you the information — including journal metrics, submission guidelines and more — that you need to plan your next submission.
The world’s leading scholarly book program, including the option to publish your book OA. ᐅSDG 3 OA Books
Support in finding funding for OA. Many funders and institutions now cover open access (OA) journal article publishing costs for affiliated researchers, as part of an OA agreement with Springer Nature. Find out more about OA agreements and whether you may be entitled to publish OA journal articles with your fees covered. The OA funding support service can help you find and access other OA publishing funds — for journal articles and books — to which you may be entitled. ᐅOA Agreements ᐅFunding Support Service ᐅThe impact of OA
Support in writing and publishing your work — both free, including tutorials and paid research solutions services, including editing, translation, and more. ᐅAuthor Services ᐅResearch Solutions
An easy way to get started on a book. Even if it is only a germ of an idea, by filling in this form, you will be put in touch with an editor who can help you grow it into a fully formed book. ᐅSubmit your book idea

SDG3 and societal impact

Discover SDG3 researchers' attitudes towards societal impact in this downloadable infographic, part of a larger project in partnership with the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU), exploring the role of open research in accelerating progress on global societal challenges. Learn more.