This is application for a Fogarty International Trauma and Injury Research Training Program submitted in response to PAR-04-083. The application brings together the University of Rochester's Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide (CSPS) with colleagues from the National Mental Health Unit of China CDC, based at the Institute of Mental Health of Peking University, and the Beijing Suicide Research and Prevention Centre, based at the Beijing Hui Long Guan Hospital, to form the China Collaborative Suicide Research Training Program (CCSRT). Other collaborating institutions include the Hong Kong Jockey Club Suicide Research Centre of The University of Hong Kong (HKU). and the Department of Psychiatry of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). Suicide is a major public health problem in China. It is the fifth leading cause of death overall, and the leading cause of death for individuals in the 15-34 year old age range. It has a national rate of approximately 23 deaths per 100,000; during 1995-1999, approximately 287,000 died by suicide. China, in contrast to the U.S.,experiences much higher rates of suicide among women, and rates in rural regions and among elders that far exceed those in the U.S.and other countries. The reasons for such striking epidemiological contrasts are insufficiently studied. Based upon the urgency for better understanding the factors that contribute to suicide in China, and our substantial experience derived from our ICOHRTA with HKU and CUHK since 2001, we propose four aims: To develop the infrastructure of the CCSRT focusing on public health and population-oriented research and prevention efforts; to recruit and train talented individuals to participate in interdisciplinary research; to develop and conduct research pertaining to suicide and attempted suicide in China, including research related to suicide prevention efforts; and to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of our recruiting, training, and research efforts throughout the course of the grant period.
