DETROIT (June 20, 2024)— Mental health experts from across the globe will gather to share insights, best practices, and innovations for preventing suicide during the 5th Zero Suicide International Summit June 24-25 in Liverpool, England.
Named for the innovative, evidence-based suicide intervention model developed at Henry Ford Health, the Zero Suicide International Summit is presented by the Detroit-based healthcare system in partnership with Zero Suicide Alliance (ZSA) and The Kevin and Margaret Hines Foundation.
The Zero Suicide model was developed at Henry Ford Health in 2001. Within a year of implementing the strategy, Henry Ford experienced an approximately 75% suicide reduction rate. The model has been adopted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. It’s been implemented by health systems across the U.S. and in more than 20 countries.
“Suicide knows no borders. We know the Zero Suicide model works. This international summit is an important opportunity to bring people together to build collaborations as we work to prevent suicide globally,” said Brian Ahmedani, Ph.D., co-director of Zero Suicide International.
According to the World Health Organization, suicide claims the lives of more than 700,000 people around the world each year. Many more attempt suicide. It is the fourth leading cause of death among 15 to 29 years-olds.
For the first time the summit will feature Zero Suicide programs and opportunities in low-and middle-income countries, with a special focus on Asia, where more than half of all global suicides occur.
On the first day of the summit Ahmedani will present a new body of research, conducted in partnership with the Kaiser Permanente, evaluating the implementation of the Zero Suicide Model across six health systems serving more than 10 million patients per year. Funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, it was the largest study ever conducted of Zero Suicide implementation.
“These studies demonstrate that Zero Suicide can be successfully and effectively implemented in primary care clinics, behavioral health settings, and across health systems and lead to a significant reduction in suicide deaths and attempts,” said Ahmedani, who also serves as director of Henry Ford Health’s Center for Health Policy & Health Services Research. “The findings reinforce the purpose of this summit—to expose attendees to novel approaches to Zero Suicide implementation practice, policy and cutting-edge research so they can design and implement programs at home.”
On the second day of the summit, a panel will discuss AI machine learning and technology in suicide prevention practices and call for further investment from the British government and private companies to help with research.
“There can be this negativity about AI technology but at Mersey Care we’ve already found several ways to incorporate it into our suicide prevention work,” revealed Professor Joe Rafferty, CBE, one of the co-founders of the ZSA and Chief Executive Officer of Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust. “If AI technology is to continue helping research into suicide prevention, then we need investment in the UK and throughout the world.”
Other topics being discussed at the conference include:
• Why Zero Suicide has been adopted as the standard approach within the suicide prevention community
• How it’s been implemented in the USA and Australia
• Funding and return on investment for Zero Suicide
• Workforce wellness within suicide prevention strategies
The full agenda for the two-day summit can be found on its website, which includes other useful information about the event and previous summits, the last of which was held in Rotterdam in 2018.
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MEDIA CONTACTS
In the United States:
Dana Jay | Henry Ford Health | mediarelations@hfhs.org
In Liverpool:
Rachel Robinson | Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust | communications@merseycare.nhs.uk
ABOUT HENRY FORD HEALTH
Serving communities across Michigan and beyond, Henry Ford Health is committed to partnering with patients and members along their entire health journey. Henry Ford Health provides a full continuum of services – from primary and preventative care, to complex and specialty care, health insurance, a full suite of home health offerings, virtual care, pharmacy, eye care and other healthcare retail.
It is one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers, recognized for clinical excellence in cancer care, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics and sports medicine, and multi-organ transplants. Consistently ranked among the top five NIH-funded institutions in Michigan, Henry Ford Health engages in more than 2,000 research projects annually. Equally committed to educating the next generation of health professionals, Henry Ford Health trains more than 4,000 medical students, residents and fellows every year across 50+ accredited programs.
With more than 33,000 valued team members, Henry Ford Health is also among Michigan’s largest and most diverse employers, including nearly 6,000 physicians and researchers from the Henry Ford Medical Group, Henry Ford Physician Network and Jackson Health Network.
The health system is led by President and CEO Robert G. Riney and serves a growing number of customers across 250+ locations throughout Michigan including five acute care hospitals, two destination facilities for complex cancer and orthopedics and sports medicine care, behavioral health, primary care and urgent care centers.
About Zero Suicide Alliance
Zero Suicide Alliance (ZSA) is a suicide awareness and prevention initiative hosted by Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust and funded via The Mersey Cares NHS Charity. It aims to empower, equip, and educate individuals and organisations by raising awareness of suicide, its contributing factors and helping drive meaningful action to help prevent suicide in the UK and beyond.
Find out more about the ZSA by visiting: www.zerosuicidealliance.com