12.4 million adults think of suicide every year. 13 percent attempt and less than .01% will die by suicide. This means the vast majority of people who think about suicide will never attempt – almost all who think about it will live. These statistics reflect the resilience, adaptability, and resourcefulness of human beings. Yet suicide remains among the top ten causes of death in America and #2 for youths ages 10-18. In aggregate, these facts suggest suicide is much more common than most think. This talk will explain how suicide is a social issue and how environmental strategies are the most promising solution set including: destigmatizing, educating the masses to be part of the solution, focusing on values and culture, and addressing this issue upstream and directly. Attendees will develop keen insights about suicide including how we all play a role in reducing risk.

At the end of this session the learners will:

1. Interpret suicide statistics and state their implications.
2. Describe the barriers to reducing suicides.
3. Explain practical methods for reducing suicide risk in a community.

Dr. Kent A. Corso is a licensed clinical psychologist and board-certified behavior analyst. His career in suicidology began over 20 years ago, while serving in the U.S. Air Force. Dr. Corso has researched, developed and evaluated suicide prevention programs across the North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. He developed PROSPER, an evidence-based suicide prevention and intervention program. Dr. Corso has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers on suicide and the behavioral sciences is a leading expert in novel scientific methods and digital technologies for analyzing suicide.