Suicide rates have continued to rise in the United States. Speculations for this rise proliferate but the causes for the increase remain unknown. While research focuses on identifying causes, the health care system is an important site for identification of patients at risk. Forty percent of individuals who die by suicide were seen in primary care in the month prior to suicide. The Zero Suicide model describes a comprehensive approach for health care systems to aid in identification and intervention of suicidal patients. While this model promises to improve care of suicidal patients, the need for innovation in our approach to understanding and caring for suicidal patients is pressing. Use of technology to enhance moment-to-moment monitoring of at-risk individuals offers promise and the possibility of intervening close to escalation of acute suicidal states. Further, once identified, suicidal individuals are often difficult to engage in treatment. Novel approaches to engagement and treatment that are effective and acceptable to suicidal patients ought to be developed. Specifically, males are much more likely than females to die by suicide. At the same time, males are less likely to seek and remain in the treatments we have to offer. Innovation should seek to identify strategies that are acceptable to males. Additionally, while about half of psychiatric inpatient admissions are suicide related, there is a paucity of suicide-specific psychosocial interventions available for inpatient settings. Innovation in monitoring and treatment offer promise in helping to reduce suicidal behavior in the United States.

在美国，自杀率持续上升。关于这种上升的猜测激增，但增加的原因仍然未知。虽然研究的重点是查明原因，但医疗保健系统是查明高危患者的重要场所。在自杀前一个月，有40％的自杀死亡者在初级保健中就诊。零自杀模型描述了一种用于医疗系统的综合方法，可帮助识别和干预自杀患者。尽管该模型有望改善自杀患者的护理，但迫切需要创新的方式来理解和照顾自杀患者。使用技术来增强对处于危险中的个人的即时监控可提供希望，并有可能干预接近急性自杀状态的升级。此外，一旦被确定，自杀个体通常难以进行治疗。应该开发对自杀患者有效和可接受的新的参与和治疗方法。具体而言，男性比女性死于自杀的可能性要高得多。同时，男性不太可能寻求并留在我们必须提供的治疗中。创新应寻求确定男性可接受的策略。此外，虽然约有一半的精神科住院病人是与自杀有关的，但针对住院病人的针对自杀的心理社会干预措施很少。