Effectiveness of Suicide Prevention Programs to Reduce Suicide Ideation and Behavior in Older Adults: A Systematic Review of the Literature from 2009-2016

Abstract

A systematic review was conducted to replicate a previous systematic review and to examine the effectiveness of various suicide prevention interventions for the older adult population. A search through 6 databases presented 7 articles that met all elibility criteria. All included articles presented interventions for adults age 60 and over that resulted in a statistically significant reduction in suicide ideation or behavior. The programs were reviewed with the GRADE protocol, which measured the quality of methods and results, and included strengths and limitations of the studies. The discussion provided implications of intervention settings and suggestions for future directions for social work practicitioners.