September is National Suicide Awareness Month with National Suicide Prevention Week September 9-15 and World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10th.
This year, we have launched the hashtag #10Things4NSPW. Many people are unaware of National Suicide Prevention Month, week, and World Suicide Prevention Day and many more aren't sure how they can observe it. The hashtag is meant to help you discover some new ways to share why suicide prevention is important and take action in your community, workplace, and home to prevent suicide and promote a safe space for mental health.
So let's start with the "why:"
In the United States:
- Suicide is the #10 leading cause of death overall
- Each year nearly 45,000 die by suicide; 800,000 globally in which 79% occur in low and middle-income countries
- Suicide costs the US 69,000,000,000.00 annually. Yes. That's BILLION
- For every suicide 25 attempt
- On average there are 123 suicides per day
- Firearms account for 51% of all suicides
- White males accounted for 7 of 10 suicides
- The rate of suicide is highest in middle age, white men in particular
In Kansas:
- suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for ages 15-44
- suicide is the 4th leading cause of death for ages 45-54
- suicide is the 8th leading cause of death for ages 55-64
- suicide is the 18th leading cause of death for ages 65+
- More than 3 times as many people die by suicide than by homicide
- On average, one person dies by suicide every 17 hours
But there is hope:
Suicide is preventable. We know that through awareness, education, compassion, means restriction, and professional intervention that suicide is preventable. The will to live is strong and difficult for most people to overcome. Many people who consider suicide don't actually want to die. They struggle to find the hope to keep living.