[Suicide prevention: past, present and future].

Efforts to prevent suicide are reviewed. Recent studies have shown that suicide prevention centers may be effective in preventing suicide, at least among females. However, in recent years, more attention has been directed toward the possibility that restricting access to methods for suicide may be an effective way for preventing suicide. In addition, there is a growing body of research on which medications and which techniques of psychotherapy may be most effective in decreasing the risk of suicide in depressed patients.