Public Health Discovery Seminar Series - Understanding Suicide: What the Science Tells Us and Why That Matters in Public Health

Despite rising suicide rates and growing public concern, suicide prevention efforts often remain siloed in clinical care. This seminar explores how public health can play a transformative role in suicide prevention by integrating foundational theories of suicide—such as the Interpersonal Theory, the Existential Constructivist Theory of Suicide, and Cultural Theory of Suicide—with a critical understanding of the social and structural determinants that shape risk and recovery. Drawing from both empirical research and implementation practice, this presentation highlights how social inequities—such as housing instability, discrimination, and poverty—interact with psychological drivers of suicide. Participants will be invited to consider how public health training, program design, and policy advocacy can more effectively address suicide as a complex, multilevel public health issue. Join Dr. Breanna Banks to discuss implications for interdisciplinary collaboration, systems thinking, and community-based approaches.