Jumping from a height with suicidal intent: experience in evaluating prevention measures

Background. Suicidal jumping/falling from a height is not the most common occurrence in Russia, but the statistics of recent years indicate an increase in the number of cases of voluntary death implemented in this way. The complexity of the problem of organizing prevention, in addition to identifying groups and risk factors, is largely due to the difficulties of using traditional restrictive measures and in the vast majority of cases goes beyond the scope of activities of mental health professionals. Objective: to identify key measures to prevent suicidal jumping. Results: based on the analysis of the current situation, data from special literature and our own clinical experience, key areas for the prevention of suicidal jumps were identified. The approach proposed by the authors made it possible to indicate a wider range of possible conditions and places for committing suicidal acts by jumping from a height. Based on this itwas possible not only to single out some previously insufficiently developed sections of research, but also to identify the most effective areas of preventive activity in the future, including taking into account the introduction of various regulatory, social, legal and other measures into certain areas of society, as well as overseeing safety principles and practices already in place. In conclusion, it was assumed that the proposed measures were generally non-specific, and therefore the prevention of suicides could be considered as a separate element or a special case of the general system to guarantee life safety and prevent injuries in a separate territory of the state or in the country as a whole, implemented at various levels and directions.