Suicide Prevention Awareness

September 10, 2024

In this blog post, we want to bring awareness to suicide prevention, as September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day. This blog post will discuss key facts, risks and warning signs, and ways to help loved ones at risk for suicide.

If you or someone you know is having a mental health crisis, call 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Suicide can impact any individual at any time. However, through communication and support, individuals who are having challenges with their mental health can get the help that they need.

Key Facts provided by NAMI and the CDC:

• Many adults think about suicide or attempt suicide: 13.2 million seriously thought about suicide → 3.8 million made a plan for suicide → 1.6 million attempted suicide.

• Although more women than men attempt suicide, men are 4x more likely to die by suicide.

• Transgender adults are nearly 9x more likely to attempt suicide at some point in their life compared to the general population.

• 46% of people who die by suicide had a diagnosed mental health condition – but research suggests that 90% may have experienced symptoms of a mental health condition.

• The highest rates of suicide in the U.S. are among American Indian/Alaskan Natives, followed by non-Hispanic white people.

The first step to suicide prevention is educating yourself on the risk factors and warning signs.

Risk factors include biological, physical, and social factors that may make an individual more likely to consider, attempt, or die by suicide. Examples of risk factors include:

• A known mental health condition

• Family history of suicide or previous suicide attempt

• Substance use – drugs can create mental highs and lows that may worsen suicidal thoughts

• Alcohol use – 1 in 5 people who die by suicide had alcohol in their system by the time of death (Stone et al., 2018)1

• Access to fatal weapons, such as firearms

• A major or chronic illness

• History of trauma or abuse

• A recent tragedy or loss

• A significant change in environment (e.g., loss of a loved one, job, or financial loss)

Warning signs are specific behaviors that may suggest that an individual is at risk for suicide. Behaviors may be new or have increased in intensity and frequency following one of the above-mentioned risk factors. Examples of warning signs include:

• Talking about wanting to die or kill themselves

• Searching for ways to kill themselves

• Expressing feelings of hopelessness or unwillingness to be alive

• Increased alcohol or drug use

• Significant mood changes that are atypical to their usual mood (e.g., increased anxiety, irritability, rage, extreme changes in mood)

• Significant behavioral changes that are atypical to their usual behavior (e.g., aggressive, recklessness, impulsivity, withdrawing or isolating from friends and family)

• Lack of sleep or sleeping excessively

If you identify that your loved one is at risk for suicide, follow the 5 action steps (National Insitute of Mental Health, 2024)

1. Ask direct questions about their risk for suicide, like “Are you having thoughts about killing yourself?” or “Do you have a plan for how you would kill yourself?”

2. Be there. Avoid judgment. Don’t debate with them on whether suicide is right or wrong.

3. Help keep them safe. Remove possible means, such as guns, knives, or accumulated pills.

4. Help them connect. Call 988 to request resources in your area, or encourage your loved one to call.

5. Follow up with your loved one. Ongoing support can play an important role in suicide prevention.

 

References:

Stone DM, Simon TR, Fowler KA, et al. Vital Signs: Trends in State Suicide Rates — United States, 1999–2016 and Circumstances Contributing to Suicide — 27 States, 2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2018;67:617–624. http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6722a1

National Institute of Mental Health. (2024). 5 Action Steps to Help Someone Having Thoughts of Suicide. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/5-action-steps-to-help-someone-having-thoughts-of-suicide