September 2021 Newsletter | Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. This month provides us with an opportunity to suggest education, resources, and support around the issue of suicide.
According to the CDC (2021), suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the US, with 47,500 deaths in 2019 alone. Even more people experience suicidal thoughts; that same year, 12 million people reported that they thought about suicide. Suicide and suicidal thoughts, also referred to as suicidal ideations, are often complex and can be experienced by anyone, however rates may vary across populations.
For example, suicide is the second leading cause of death among those aged 15-24 years. The CDC reports that suicide rates may vary among ethnicity, as American Indian/Alaska Native individuals experience higher rates of suicide than other ethnic groups. LGBTQ youth are also at higher risk of suicidal thoughts in relation to their peers. (CDC 2020). The Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report (2019) states that the suicide rate among Veterans over 18 years old is one-and-a-half times greater than non-civilians.
These findings are important to discuss but they can also be scary and overwhelming. It is important to emphasize that suicide is largely preventable and there is hope and help available. There is often a ‘thinking-planning’ phase that occurs first, followed by an ‘action’ phase when contemplating suicide (SAMSA 2021). Treatment interventions such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and others others, have been effective in the treatment of suicidal ideation and the prevention of suicide. As anyone who has experienced CBT knows, thoughts can be powerful, however, intervening or asking for help during this thinking phase can separate a persons’ thoughts from their actions which can be lifesaving.
Below is a list of resources that are available for individuals who would like to talk to someone about suicide or suicidal thoughts, those who have experienced the loss of a loved one due to suicide, and helplines that are available to utilize in the event of a crisis. You are not alone. Consider sharing these resources with a friend to help build awareness in honor of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.
If you need someone to speak to immediately, Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Call 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)
Use the online Lifeline Crisis Chat
The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25.
TREVORLINE: 1-866-488-7386
TREVORTEXT: Text START to 678-678
Veterans Crisis Line
1-800-273-TALK (8255) Press 1 for Veterans,
24/7 Phone, chat, and text
Additional services available for the deaf and hard of hearing (800)-799-4889
To find a support group for those dealing with the loss of a loved one due to suicide: https://afsp.org/find-a-support-group
References:
National Alliance on Mental Illness NAMI (2021) Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month. Retrieved from https://www.nami.org/get-involved/awareness-events/suicide-prevention-awareness-month
Center for Disease Control (2021) Suicide Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/index.html
U.S. Department of Affairs. National Suicide Prevention Annual Report(2019).
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (2021). There are ways you can intervene to help someone from acting on thoughts of suicide. Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/blog/there-are-ways-you-can-intervene-help-prevent-someone-acting-thoughts-suicide