Legal and regulatory basis for organizing work within suicide prevention

Objective. To study the legal and regulatory basis of the Republic of Belarus on work organization of institutions implementing preventive measures within suicide prevention.

Materials and methods. The legislative framework of the Republic of Belarus in the field of healthcare on issues of organizing the work of institutions implementing preventive measures in the context of suicide prevention was analyzed. The features of inter-institutional interaction of structures implementing preventive measures to reduce suicide risks were selected in laws and regulations.

Results. Inter-institutional level of responsible entities implementing preventive measures within suicide prevention is defined by the number of laws and regulations. The State Program “Public Health and Demographic Security” for 2021–2025, subprogram 3 “Prevention and Overcoming of Drunkenness and Alcoholism, Protection of Mental Health” which also includes suicide prevention activities, is specificated in the list of the State programmes of social and economic focus implemented in 2021–2025. Designated owner of the programme is the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus.

Conclusion. In order to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals for mental health, the goals of the WHO General Program of Work and the WHO Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013–2030, and subject to the basic principles of the Agenda for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the Republic of Belarus by 2030 (universality, interrelation, indivisibility, inclusiveness, partnership) it is necessary to organize the work of institutions implementing preventive measures within suicide prevention, setting the inter-institutional responsibility of agencies enshrined in law. For use of effective organizational approaches in the practices of state regional administrative bodies in order to implement a set of measures of the State Program “Public Health and Demographic Security” for 2021–2025, it is necessary to update the Modified Suicide Risk Scale: the factors “suicide attempts or treatment by a psychiatrist in past medical history”, “alcohol or other psychoactive substances abuse” should be assigned a value of 2.

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