Headlines - Monitoring Suicide Attempts and Suicides

The National Suicide Observatory (ONS), established by decree in September 2013, comprises two working groups: one on surveillance led by the InVS, and the other on improving understanding of the mechanisms leading to suicide, led by the Directorate for Research, Studies, Evaluation, and Statistics (Drees). It has released its first report (1). Its missions comprise five components: - coordinating the various data producers and improving the monitoring of suicides and suicide attempts - developing knowledge on the risk factors and mechanisms leading to suicides and suicide attempts in order to improve prevention - promoting and enhancing systems for the collection, monitoring, and early warning of suicide by participating in the dissemination of results and facilitating access to databases - evaluating the effects of public policies regarding the prevention of suicide and suicide attempts - producing recommendations, particularly regarding prevention. The surveillance group analyzed data on: - suicide mortality, - surveillance based on medical-administrative databases (the RIM-P program for medical information systems in surgery and medicine regarding psychiatric hospitalizations, and the Oscour program regarding emergency department visits (2)), - self-report surveys in the general or specific population (3), - data from associations, - data on workplace suicide. In addition to national data, the InVS plans to produce regional data to meet the needs of local decision-makers, particularly the ARS, by leveraging its regional units (Cire). To achieve this objective, particularly in the Bourgogne and Franche-Comté regions, it is necessary to ensure high-quality data coding in emergency and hospital care. Collaboration between the Cire and the regional emergency observatories (ORU) enables the implementation of such initiatives. In Burgundy, this work is feasible following the integration of all adult emergency departments into emergency health surveillance, a result of the significant work carried out by the Emergency Observatory.