Public Issues and Private Troubles: Teaching Suicide Prevention Techniques in Introductory Sociology

This paper describes in detail how the topic of suicide prevention may be integrated into the introductory sociology course. This approach brings to life some basic sociological concepts, including that of the sociological imagination; relates well to Durkheim's classic study of suicide; and immediately makes social science research and its results relevant and interesting to the students by giving them usable information and potentially life-saving skills.