Ethical and Practical Considerations for Mandating Suicide Prevention Training for Mental Health Professionals

Suicide remains a pressing national public health issue. Suicide prevention training for current and future mental health professionals (MHPs) is a secondary prevention strategy that is a common component of comprehensive suicide prevention strategies. A policy- and ethics-focused question is raised by the ongoing need for training: Should suicide prevention training be mandated for all MHPs? In this scoping review with policy recommendations, we outline the ethical considerations forming the foundation for the argument that training should be a necessity. Current behaviors of undertrained MHPs may violate the ethical principle of nonmaleficence and ethical standards of practicing within boundaries of competence and recognizing and reducing bias due to stigma. We discuss how training addresses the ethical issues and suggest a training program as an example for consideration. Next, we offer practical recommendations for implementing training for MHPs and graduate students through organizational onboarding, continuing education for licensure, and accreditation.