We are excited to release the Call for Papers for the 52nd Annual Conference of the American
Association of Suicidology (AAS). The conference will be held in Denver, Colorado, from April
25th through the 27th, 2019, with preconference workshops on April 24th. The theme of the
2019 conference is Converging Fields, Expanding Perspectives.

Reflecting on the Changing the Legacy of Suicide theme from the 2011 AAS conference (chaired by AAS President Julie Cerel), we find ourselves facing the reality that the legacy of suicide has changed in the United States (US); but not necessarily in the direction we hoped it would.

With US mortality data showing consistent increases in the general suicide rate, we have the chance to respond boldly by acknowledging what we do well and what we need to do better. This requires us to continue to break down the silos within our own field and work shoulderto-shoulder with one another (continuing the themes of past conferences). We echo the theme of the 50th Annual Conference that called for us to think differently about the challenge of reducing suicides in the US. This calls for an openness to new ideas and new approaches, and an engagement with unfamiliar scientific and non-scientific fields that can examine or highlight suicide in ways we never would have imagined. Such collaboration across scientific domains, or divergent nonprofit groups, will not only expand our perspective about suicide, but could lead to insights and discoveries that will benefit our work for years to come.

The #AAS19 Annual Conference will continue the past two conference themes of innovating our efforts and working together to take action to prevent suicide and address its aftermath. It also will continue the format from the 51st Annual Conference, which included special lecture sessions (“Thought Leaders”), Division track showcase presentations, TED-style Talk speakers, and moderated debates.

Submissions will be accepted for individual paper presentations, poster presentations, and panel discussions/workshops. All proposals that include research, and specifically those that have received Institutional Review Board approval or are research activities, will be reviewed only by the Research Division. The remaining proposals should be submitted to the Division that is the best fit: clinical, crisis centers, attempt survivors/lived experience, prevention, student, or loss survivor.

Submissions will be judged based on the following criteria:

1. Appropriateness to conference theme / Originality
2. Importance / Usefulness & practicality
3. Formulation & conceptualization
4. Quality of ideas & analysis
5. Interpretation & conclusion

The deadline for submissions is October 31, 2018 at 11:59 pm EST. No late submissions will
be accepted. Please review the submission requirements closely, as all proposals must follow
the enclosed guidelines and must be submitted online in order to receive full consideration.
Proposals that do not follow the enclosed guidelines may result in non-acceptance.

Those interested will learn more here.