Suicide Prevention Resources

September is National Suicide Prevention Month

 

Hope, help and support are here.

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. All month long, the American Hospital Association is shining a national spotlight on suicide as a national public health issue and how hospitals and health systems are finding solutions to ensure that people at risk feel supported and connected.

Here you’ll find resources to prevent suicide by helping people become better informed, support those who are at risk and create hope through action.

The Facts

Almost 46,000 Americans died by suicide in 2020

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1 Death

every 11 minutes

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12 Million

adults thought about suicide

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Over 3 Million

made a suicide plan

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1.2 Million

attempted suicide

Healthcare professionals confront daily challenges impacting their well-being, which was intensified by the pandemic. Prioritizing mental health is crucial, as seen in AHA's guide "Suicide Prevention: Evidence-Informed Interventions for the Health Care Workforce." Access the guide for immediate steps to safeguard your healthcare teams' wellness amidst these challenges.

Health Care Workforce Interventions Guide

Featured Resources

Infographic

Improving Maternal Mental Health Outcomes: How Hospitals Can Support Maternal Mental Health

Suicide accounts for one in five postpartum deaths; one in five women experience a perinatal mental health condition; and over half of pregnant women with depression do not receive treatment, according to a new AHA infographic highlighting the grim statistics surrounding maternal mental health, five ways to improve maternal mental health outcomes and recommended resources for providers.

ADDRESSING CHALLENGES AND PRIORITIES THROUGH THE TRUSTEE ROLE

Boardroom Brief: How Boards Can Support Workforce Behavioral Health

This document, developed by AHA Trustee Services and AHA’s Behavioral Health teams, intends to educate and raise awareness for trustees about suicide prevention and the role that hospital and health system boards can play in this very important public health issue. It also provides useful resources for boards to initiate a conversation about reducing the risks of and preventing suicides in the health care workforce.

Chair File

Shining a Spotlight on Suicide as a Public Health Issue

AHA Chair Wright L. Lassiter III notes that throughout September, the AHA is shining a spotlight on suicide as a public health issue and working to ensure that people have access to the resources they need to discuss suicide prevention and seek treatment when needed.

Addressing Challenges and Priorities through the Trustee Role

Why Boards Should Focus on Suicide Prevention

Sue Ellen Wagner spoke with Cathy Frank, M.D., chair of Henry Ford Health’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services, to learn about how the health system is addressing suicide prevention, a vital public health issue that governing boards should know more about.

Podcast

The Role of Firearm Safety in Preventing Suicide

According to the CDC, firearms are used in approximately 50% of all suicides. In this podcast, Dr. Emmy Betz, a professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and director of the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative joins Laura Castellanos, associate director, Hospitals Against Violence initiative at the American Hospital Association. Together they explore the connections between firearms and suicide, and what hospitals and healthcare systems need to know about firearm suicide prevention.

 


More Suicide Prevention Resources

 

If you are in crisis or feel like you are a safety threat to yourself or others, please call 988 or 911 or go to the nearest emergency department immediately.