There are many factors that contribute to suicide, and several factors may have contributed to the decrease in rate from 2019 to 2020. We cannot determine which specific factors may have contributed to the decline but we do know that creating a culture open to talking about mental health and suicide prevention, educating people about what to do when they are in distress, making a wide array of supports available to those who seek it, using treatments that have been shown to reduce suicide risk based on research, supporting those affected by suicide, and passing legislation that make suicide prevention a top national priority are all positive advancements that we’ve seen over the past several years that likely had a collective impact.
At AFSP, we are committed to creating programs, supporting research, engaging partners, and advancing policies that will help contribute to a continued decrease in suicide – especially important in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Project 2025, a first-of-its-kind-initiative led by AFSP, aims to positively impact our culture surrounding mental health and suicide prevention and set the goal of reducing the suicide rate 20 percent by the year 2025. By mobilizing institutions, associations, and individuals across healthcare, corrections, and firearms owning communities, we are promoting evidence-based practices and research to drive policy, increase engagement around addressing mental health and suicide, and reach the most people with life-saving initiatives.
AFSP’s advocacy efforts have also led to the national prioritization of suicide prevention as demonstrated by the passage of the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, which designated 988 as the new three-digit national number for those in crisis (replacing the existing 1-800-273-8255 number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline; as 988 is not yet universally accessible, individuals should continue to call 1-800-273-8255 until the full effective date of July 2022). In conjunction with 988, legislation has been enacted to build an effective crisis service system to support people in crisis. Those who are in distress need to be met with resources that will support their mental health including a fully funded, accessible, and well-designed national system of crisis services and health care.
As the nation’s largest private funder of suicide research, we know that concentrated, strategic, culturally competent and evidence-based suicide prevention efforts can save lives. Through these efforts, and by all working together, we have the ability to keep bending the suicide curve down.”
For safe reporting: https://afsp.org/journalists/.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. AFSP creates a culture that’s smart about mental health through education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, and with a public policy office in Washington, D.C., AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states with programs and events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report, and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
SOURCE American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
