From concept to practice: an analysis of the implementation of the biopsychosocial model in public policies for suicide prevention in Spain
- 1Faculty Padre Ossó, University of Oviedo
- 2Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo
Abstract
With the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating 720,000 deaths from suicide each year, the phenomenon of suicide is a priority in public health policy. International policy frameworks highlight the need to adopt biopsychosocial perspectives in order to understand the phenomenon of suicide; however, in practice, it is noted that social components play a minor role in policy design, with a preference for a biopsychological and clinical approach. This paper seeks to answer the question: Does Spanish public policy on suicide prevention operationalize the biopsychosocial model of suicide in its strategic implementation? To answer this question, a documentary analysis of public policies is carried out using the READ method. Current suicide policies in force in Spain are examined at three levels: transnational framework documents, national policies, and regional public policies. In the 15 policies analyzed, a lexicometric analysis is combined with a thematic qualitative policy analysis. The results show that, as one moves down to policies closer to the population, a gap emerges between the discursive use of the biopsychosocial model and its practical application. It is concluded that at the transnational and national policy levels, the biopsychosocial model predominates in the understanding of suicide, while in Spain’s autonomous communities, the psychobiological approach tends to be prioritized over social causes. This has an impact on the types of measures proposed, which have limited intersectional scope, a narrow view of the community-based approach, and prioritize healthcare resources to address the phenomenon of suicide.
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BibTeX
@article{llosa2026from,
title = {{From concept to practice: an analysis of the implementation of the biopsychosocial model in public policies for suicide prevention in Spain}},
author = {Jose Antonio Llosa and Isabel Montes-Pintos and Cristina Rea-Rodríguez and Beatriz Oliveros and Sara Menéndez-Espina and Esteban Agulló-Tomás},
journal = {Frontiers in Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2026.1987569},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1987569/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - From concept to practice: an analysis of the implementation of the biopsychosocial model in public policies for suicide prevention in Spain
AU - Jose Antonio Llosa
AU - Isabel Montes-Pintos
AU - Cristina Rea-Rodríguez
AU - Beatriz Oliveros
AU - Sara Menéndez-Espina
AU - Esteban Agulló-Tomás
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/29
JO - Frontiers in Public Health
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1987569
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1987569/full
AB - With the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating 720,000 deaths from suicide each year, the phenomenon of suicide is a priority in public health policy. International policy frameworks highlight the need to adopt biopsychosocial perspectives in order to understand the phenomenon of suicide; however, in practice, it is noted that social components play a minor role in policy design, with a preference for a biopsychological and clinical approach. This paper seeks to answer the question: Does Spanish public policy on suicide prevention operationalize the biopsychosocial model of suicide in its strategic implementation? To answer this question, a documentary analysis of public policies is carried out using the READ method. Current suicide policies in force in Spain are examined at three levels: transnational framework documents, national policies, and regional public policies. In the 15 policies analyzed, a lexicometric analysis is combined with a thematic qualitative policy analysis. The results show that, as one moves down to policies closer to the population, a gap emerges between the discursive use of the biopsychosocial model and its practical application. It is concluded that at the transnational and national policy levels, the biopsychosocial model predominates in the understanding of suicide, while in Spain’s autonomous communities, the psychobiological approach tends to be prioritized over social causes. This has an impact on the types of measures proposed, which have limited intersectional scope, a narrow view of the community-based approach, and prioritize healthcare resources to address the phenomenon of suicide.
SN - 2296-2565
ER -