Protective Factors

Some individuals and communities are more resistant to suicide than others. Little is known about these protective factors. However they might include genetic and neurobiological makeup, attitudinal and behavioral characteristics, and environmental attributes. According to the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Suicide6, protective factors include:

• Effective and appropriate clinical care for mental, physical and substance abuse disorders,

• Easy access to a variety of clinical interventions and support for help seeking,

• Restricted access to highly lethal methods of suicide,

• Family and community support,

• Support from ongoing medical and mental health care relationships,

• Learned skills in problem solving, conflict resolution, and nonviolent handling of disputes, and

• Cultural and religious beliefs that discourage suicide and support self-preservation instincts, including American Indians practice of non-separation of culture, spirituality, and/or religion.
As with prevention and intervention activities, when programs to enhance protective factors are introduced, they must build on individual and community assets. They must also be culturally appropriate. As an example protective factors enhancement in any one of Montana’s American Indian communities must capitalize on the native customs and spiritual beliefs of that nation, tribe or band.

Source:  http://www.sprc.org/stateinformation/PDF/stateplans/plan_mt.pdf