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Dreamstime
Prevention Action Alliance
Suicide: A Leading Cause of Death in the U.S.
September is Suicide Prevention Month
Suicide: A Public Health Concern… Suicide is a leading cause of death
in the U.S. It’s the tenth leading cause of death overall and the
second leading cause of death in people ages 10 to 34, according to
data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 47,173 people
died by suicide in 2017, the latest year for which data are available.
An additional 479,000 people harmed themselves through self-inflicted
injuries.
The Warning Signs of Suicide
Most people who contemplate or consider suicide want help. There are often indicators you can look for, including:
• Talking about wanting to die or kill themselves, sometimes presented
as harmless, such as “I won’t be around for much longer” or “I wish I
wasn’t here”
• Giving away personal belongings, treasures, or things that are important.
• Withdrawing socially from friends, family, or the community
• Failing to uphold obligations at home, work, or school
• Increased drug or alcohol use
• Dramatic mood swings
• Thinking, talking, or writing about death
• Impulsive, reckless, or aggressive behavior
If you notice these or other warning signs, it’s important to seek
professional help and for you to intervene. Talking about suicide
doesn’t give people ideas. It can, however, save a life.
If you or someone else is in an emergency, call the National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline by dialing 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or call 911.
Ways to Prevent Suicide
Reducing stigma encourages others to get help when they need it.
Getting professional help when you or someone else needs it is one of the most effective ways to prevent suicide.
Normalizing help-seeking behavior and reducing stigma can encourage others to get help when they need it.
Visit preventionactionalliance.org/words-matter to learn more about stigma.
Suicide can be directly linked to substance use and mental health
disorders. We can help prevent suicides by encouraging wellness at an
early age. One way to do this is to use school and community prevention
programs that promote resiliency and teach strategies for self care and
how to seek help if a person is contemplating suicide.
Whole books and websites are devoted to the topic of suicide prevention.
Needless to say, there’s a vast literature of resources for creating or
providing effective suicide prevention programs. To learn more about
preventing suicide, visit the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation at
ohiospf.org or reach out to your local suicide prevention coalitions,
programs, or projects.
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