Commentary: A time to reap and a time to sow: reducing the adolescent suicide rate now and in the future: commentary on Cha et al. (2018)

Abstract

Cha and colleagues have provided an erudite, lucid, and comprehensive survey of where research on adolescent suicide has been, and where it should go. Their paper provides a broad global picture of the descriptive epidemiology of adolescent suicide, describes environmental, psychological, social, and biological processes likely to be associated with suicidal risk, reviews extant approaches to the management of adolescent suicidal behavior, and makes recommendations for future research. This editorial will expand on some of their recommendations, and also remind readers, that, regardless of how much we still need to learn, we do possess knowledge that, if applied now, could help to reduce the adolescent suicide rate in the near term.