National Suicide Prevention Month

September is National Suicide Prevention month to bring awareness of suicide prevention, with September 10th being World Suicide Prevention Day.

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death. It is critical that we come together growing in our knowledge and understanding, so that we can help save lives. Mental health is important in every stage of life because suicide does not only affect one age group.

Physical and mental health are equally important, both impacting your thoughts and actions. Right now stress is higher than ever with thoughts of fear overcoming many people.

Hopelessness and despair often come about when someone is struggling with a health condition or other areas of life that bring about a tremendous amount of stress and anxiety. With the risk of COVID-19 exposure, and the lack of support usually found by family members because of social distancing, suicide is on the rise.

Statistics*

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention WISQARS^TM Leading Causes of Death Reports in 2018:

• Suicide was the tenth leading cause of death overall in the United States, claiming the lives of more than 48,000 people of all ages.
• Suicide was the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34, and the fourth leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 35 and 54.
• There were more than twice as many suicides (47,173) in the United States as there were homicides (19,510).
• Among females, the suicide rate was highest for those aged 45-54 (10.0 per 100,000).
• Among males, the suicide rate was highest for those aged 65 and older (31.0 per 100,000).
• The rates of suicide were highest for American Indian/Alaska Native, Non-Hispanic males (33.6 per 100,000) and females (11.0 per 100,000), followed by White, Non-Hispanic males (28.2 per 100,000) and females (7.9 per 100,000).

Risk Factors

There are many risk factors that include family history and environment, as the list below shows.

• Mental health conditions

• Traumatic brain injury

• Depression

• Bipolar disorder

• Schizophrenia

• Conduct disorder

• Anxiety disorders

• Substance abuse

• Serious physical health conditions, including pain

• Personality traits of aggression, mood changes, and poor relationships

Warning Signs

Talk

• Ending it all (killing themselves)

• Feeling hopeless

• Having no reason to live

• Being a burden

• Feeling trapped

• Unbearable pain

Behavior

• Increased use of alcohol or drugs

• Looking for a way to end their life

• Withdrawing from activities

• Isolating from family and friends

• Sleeping too much or too little

• Visiting or calling people to say goodbye

• Giving away possessions

• Aggression

Mood

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Loss of interest

• Irritability

• Humiliation/shame

• Agitation/anger

• Relief/sudden improvement

“Never, never, never give up.”

- Winston Churchill

If you know someone that is suicidal, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255; option 1, or text the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO or START to 741741).

Help us spread the facts about suicide and be a light to those that may be struggling. The National Institute of Mental Health has a brochure and fact sheet you can download and print out to share with others.

*Statistics are taken from the National Institute of Mental Health.