Suicide Content Published in Counseling Journals: A 21-Year Content Analysis to Inform Research and Practice

This content analysis provides an overview of suicide articles published in 24 counseling journals between 1996 and 2016. A total of 78 articles were published, representing 0.74% of the total published literature within these journals. The Journal of Mental Health Counseling published the highest number of articles. In addition to the number of articles published during this 21-year period, the focus areas within suicide, the type of article (research or conceptual), and the type of research are identified. Results indicated the highest focus areas were in assessment, theory/attitudes toward suicide, and special populations. Implications such as increasing discussions of suicide, especially related to youth; incorporating theories of suicide into practice; and recommendations for counselor educators in teaching suicide are provided.