More than 720,000 people worldwide die by suicide every year, and millions more attempt it. In the United States, the number of fatalities is 49,000, with 1 person committing suicide every 11 minutes. These numbers are concerning, with suicide continuing as a leading cause of death despite being preventable. As such, suicide needed to be addressed even beyond World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10th), leading to September being named as National Suicide Prevention Month (NSPM) through the coordinated efforts of multiple mental health and suicide prevention organizations back in 2008. This expanded on previous efforts of suicide prevention to unite people, communities, organizations, and governments together under a shared cause of prevention, destigmatization, and awareness.  

Why Is National Suicide Prevention Month Important?

Suicide and thoughts of suicide affect all communities. While mental health can be a key factor, with 46% of those who die by suicide having previous mental disorders, suicide can also be triggered as an impulse due to the culmination of life’s stressors, whether caused by issues with finances, relationships, chronic illnesses, environment, or other forms of distress. Knowing this, it is no surprise that suicide rates are particularly high among marginalized groups. These groups include immigrants, refugees, LGBTQ+ individuals, indigenous peoples, veterans, and prisoners, who often face a lack of safe spaces, community support, and proper care that may be afforded otherwise. Youth also have higher rates of suicide, being the third leading cause of death among those 15-29, likely due to social media and societal and peer pressures that result in overall poorer mental health. 

On top of these rates, there are many stigmas surrounding suicide, mental health, and related treatments or therapies. These include the harmful myths that suicide or thoughts of suicide are weak, selfish, attention-seeking, or sinful, and that reaching out for help establishes you as “crazy” or can be emasculating—all of which only worsen rates of suicide. Despite this, many wrongly employ these myths as ways to prevent suicide: “You’re only thinking of yourself when you consider suicide. Think about how it would hurt the people around you.” Phrases like these only invalidate the emotional, physical, and psychological pain that leads to thoughts of suicide and can establish guilt or shame for feeling the way they do, preventing them from reaching out for professional help. 

Ultimately, suicide is complex. There’s no one single cause, but it is often the culmination of external and internal challenges that can push individuals towards a tipping point. Since these situations of suicide are multifaceted, it makes sense that suicide prevention efforts need to be, too. On a large scale, these require fluid coordination and collaboration between health, education, labor, agriculture, business, justice, law, defense, politics, and media outlets. NSPM does just that, playing a vital role in organizing, addressing, and raising awareness while providing proper preventive support and guidance on how to do so effectively. 

Support and Preventive Measures for Suicide 

Discussing and bringing awareness to suicide and mental health are the first steps to preventing suicide and reducing the stigmas surrounding it. The more open we are to discussing this subject, the more our society will be willing to take both large-scale and personal action, creating safe spaces, providing support, and enhancing individual mental health. 

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) LIVE LIFE suicide prevention initiative recommends these large-scale interventions: 

• “limit access to the means of suicide (e.g. pesticides, firearms, certain medications);

• interact with the media for responsible reporting of suicide;

• foster socio-emotional life skills in adolescents; 

• and early identify, assess, manage and follow up anyone who is affected by suicidal behaviours.”

On a more personal level, the Wounded Warrior Project lists these areas to help protect individuals from the impulse of suicide: 

• Building strong relationships and a sense of belonging with family, friends, and community. 

• Establishing a personal sense of purpose and identity (for veterans, this is beyond military service).

• Having “[a]ccess to timely, culturally competent care.”

• Having “[s]afe environments, including planning around lethal means.”

• Allowing for chances to grow, change, and help others.

• Developing mental resilience (psychotherapy can help here). 

• Meeting basic needs, including quality sleep and nutrition. 

• Maintaining or growing into financial stability.

It is crucial to remember that there is no one-size-fits-all solution; each individual’s situation is unique and requires specialized, tailored care to meet their specific needs. For example, gender-affirming care may be helpful or necessary for transgender populations, providing appropriate mental and physical health support. Other forms of specialized care, such as psychological medical treatments like psychotherapy, are also crucial to addressing specific needs, and it is necessary to reduce the stigmas surrounding them to encourage people to seek help. 

Suicide might affect every community, but so can hope. Let’s work together to help prevent suicide, building a network of support and safe spaces by destigmatizing mental health and suicide.

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, know that help is available to you—reach out to a trusted contact or call or text 988 to connect with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (live chat is available at 988lifeline.org).