## Note, this article covers heavy topics related to mental health and suicide. If you or a loved one are going through a mental health crisis, please call 988.
The month of September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Awareness Day (WSPAD). All month, many agencies, advocacy groups, and community members are planning to engage in nationwide and global efforts to curb suicide and raise awareness on mental health.
Suicide is a major public health issue, with over 700,000 deaths occurring each year globally.
The World Health Organization reports that suicide is a major public health issue, with over 700,000 deaths occurring each year globally. The triennial theme for WSPAD is “Changing the narrative on suicide.” The theme is a call to action on suicide and to raise awareness about its relevance as a priority in mental health policy.
The Health Policy Institute of Ohio reports that suicide was the fifth leading cause of death among working-age Ohioans (between ages 15-64) in 2022. Why is awareness important, and what can individuals, nonprofits, and communities do to participate?
Why is this important?
World Suicide Prevention Awareness Day (WSPAD) and Suicide Prevention Awareness Month is important because it helps address the realities and prevalence of suicide while also addressing stigma that comes with discussing mental illness. The World Health Organization reported that WSPAD has made several policy achievements. WSPAD helped accomplish three major things:
- Establish suicide prevention strategies in multiple countries.
- Created campaigns on a local and national level to combat stigma and raise awareness on suicide.
- Educated individuals within academia through the creation of research institutes and graduate/undergraduate courses.
In continuation of this work today, these efforts remain ever present, however increased attention has brought light to suicide and the broader mental health epidemic that is pervasive throughout the world.
An epidemic of isolation and loneliness
In 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory stating that isolation and loneliness is a public health issue. Research within the advisory states that social connection is crucial to supporting individual health and community wide wellbeing. WSPD is a day where strategies to build community and foster awareness can be used to combat not only the stigma that people feel related to mental health, but also the isolation that they may experience as individuals that may be struggling themselves.
Suicide Prevention Awareness Month is a month-long designation dedicated to raising awareness on suicide among vulnerable populations.
Similarly, Suicide Prevention Awareness Month is a month-long designation dedicated to raising awareness on suicide among vulnerable populations. The month's duration allows ongoing conversations amongst coalitions, policymakers, and community groups to highlight the need for mental health through policy, education, and outreach.
The month doesn’t just stop at awareness though. Suicide Prevention Awareness Month is also an opportune time to provide more awareness to resources such as 988 that continue to act as an intervention to challenges related to behavioral health. It also opens the door to having honest conversations around mental health through discussion with friends and family.
What about the 988 Lifeline?
Substantive efforts to raise awareness on the Lifeline will occur throughout September. The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services released a dashboard outlining 988 by the numbers, which provides updated information on calls, chats, and texts to the Lifeline. Recently, OMHAS published a 988 materials generator that allows organizations and agencies to create customizable 988 information. More 988 resources of interest are below.
More resources
Throughout September, nonprofit agencies will produce programming related to suicide prevention and awareness in Ohio. In addition to these programs, there will be events relevant to WSPD. Below is a list of resources that can help inform behavioral health agencies, nonprofits, and interested parties on suicide and suicide prevention efforts (note, this list is not comprehensive).
- The National Alliance on Mental Illness has a list of resources to share during Suicide Prevention Awareness Month: Suicide Prevention Month | NAMI
- RecoveryOhio and Suicide Prevention: Ohio’s New Agenda for Behavioral Health: RecoveryOhio and Suicide Prevention: Ohio’s new agenda for behavioral health (communitysolutions.com)
- Social Marketing for the 988 Lifeline Begins Raising Public Awareness: Social marketing for the 988 Lifeline to raise public awareness (communitysolutions.com)
- The Trevor Project: Resource Center - The Trevor Project
- Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation: Resources - Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation (ohiospf.org)
- Maternal Mental Health: https://www.communitysolutions.com/resources/disparities-in-maternal-mental-health-a-rising-public-health-issue
- Black Men’s Mental Health: What must be done to end stigmas keeping Black men from mental health care (dispatch.com)
- Franklin County Suicide Prevention Coalition: Resources – Franklin County Suicide Prevention Coalition (franklincountyspc.org)
- Hamilton County Suicide Prevention Coalition: Life is Better With You Here: Resources - 1N5
- Cuyahoga County Suicide Prevention Coalition: Cuyahoga County Suicide Prevention Coalition | ADAMHS Board of Cuyahoga County (adamhscc.org)
- SAMHSA’s Suicide Prevention Month Resources : Suicide Prevention Month | SAMHSA
- 988 Ohio Toolkit: 988 Ohio Toolkit | Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services
Crisis Numbers
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Text or Dial 988
- Maternal Mental Health Lifeline: 1-833-TLC-MAMA
- The Trevor Project Crisis and Text Line: 24/7 Suicide Hotline for LGBTQ Youth - We’re here for you Now (thetrevorproject.org)
World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) Events
- Black Suicide Awareness Vigil: https://blacksuicidevigilohio.org/
- International Association for Suicide Prevention Life Lines : Life Lines - IASP
- Congressional Briefing on Maternal Suicide: Congressional Briefing on Maternal Suicide - Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health (policycentermmh.org)
