The precipitating circumstances of adult suicide deaths

Background: Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States, and rates have risen steadily since the year 2000. Negative life events such as financial strain and interpersonal conflict are associated with heightened risk of suicide. This risk might be greatest in short timeframes following the onset of a crisis, but little is known about which crises co-exist, and how they unfold and interact in real-world cases. Additionally, the extent to which suicide prevention interventions address crises remains unclear. The purpose of this dissertation was to better characterize precipitating crises preceding suicide completion, and to evaluate the availability of targeted interventions.