2019 – American Association of Suicidology

Washington, D.C. (December 11, 2019): The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) applauds Senators Cory Gardner, Tammy Baldwin, and Jerry Moran for their efforts in passing the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2019 (S.2661) out of Senate Commerce this morning. Their efforts, as well as the efforts of all congresspeople who’ve made this a priority, bring this one step closer to becoming a reality and saving lives.

“It’s incredible to see the bipartisan support for this lifesaving bill come from across the Hill, ensuring the critical nature of what it provides is held intact,” said Colleen Creighton, Executive Director of AAS. “We know this unique, three-digit hotline will provide Americans with the support they desperately need and are happy to see our legislators agree.”

Of note, the current draft of the bill specifically proposes a funding structure to address the expected increase in call volume. It is the continued view of AAS that any implementation of a three-digit mental health and suicide prevention hotline number must include adequate funding for the crisis intervention providers across the country who answer these calls and at the scale of the demand.

For the Media: Responsible reporting on suicide, including stories of hope and resilience, can prevent more suicides. Please visit the Suicide Reporting Recommendations for more information.

About AAS: Founded in 1968 by Edwin S. Shneidman, PhD, AAS promotes the research of suicide and its prevention, public awareness programs, public education and training for professionals and volunteers. The membership of AAS includes mental health and public health professionals, researchers, suicide prevention and crisis intervention centers, school districts, crisis center volunteers, survivors of suicide loss, attempt survivors, and a variety of lay persons who have in interest in suicide prevention. You can learn more about AAS at www.suicidology.org.

Press Contact:
Chris Maxwell
Director of Public Relations and Media
cmaxwell@suicidology.org

“Today we are thankful to the Federal Communications Commission for their recognition that now is the time for a nationwide three-digit phone line for mental health and suicide prevention,” said Becky Stoll, LCSW, American Association of Suicidology (AAS) Crisis Center Division Chair, and Vice President, Crisis & Disaster Management at Centerstone. “We’re incredibly grateful and supportive of the work and effort they’ve made in making this hotline a reality. In a time when suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US, our country desperately needs this resource and FCC is taking the correct actions to make this happen.”

AAS applauds the FCC for its work and recommendations to proceed with the unique, 988 three-digit telephone code for mental health and suicide prevention services. It is now time to ensure these services are properly standardized and funded at the scale of the problem. Nearly 7 million people are directly affected by suicide every year, with almost 1.5 million people attempting suicide in that same timeframe. These are rates that require solid infrastructure to adequately and compassionately address the demand.

Washington, D.C. (November 21, 2019): The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) is pleased to announce that Margaret Hines, Founder and CEO of the Kevin and Margaret Hines Foundation, has joined its Board of Directors. Through the foundation and additional work, the Hines have managed to reach thousands of people with their uplifting, inspiring, and hopeful suicide prevention messaging, stemming from their trainings, presentations, and workshops.

“I am honored and grateful to be nominated to the board of the American Association of Suicidology. I believe the synergy between the committees will drive the change we need to see in the suicide prevention space,” said Margaret. “Kevin and I have a vested interest in the lived experience and impacted family sectors, for obvious reasons. What is not widely known is our investment and personal interest in the research, crisis center, and clinician sectors. We believe in the power of collaboration within a diversified group of individuals to successfully create change and look forward to contributing to AAS efforts.”

Margaret’s inclusion will amplify the already impressive roster of the Board, which includes world-renowned suicide prevention experts, academic professionals, researchers, and advocates, many of whom are either loss or attempt survivors.

“I’m excited about the breadth of experience Margaret is adding to our board,” said Colleen Creighton, Executive Director of AAS. “Her expertise, contributions, and energy, bring AAS’s impact to the next level.”

AAS is dedicated to providing representation that effectively communicates the needs and goals of its membership. By continuing to include a diverse roster of individuals who can address these components, AAS, its committees, and its Board work strategically to create programs focused on ending suicide in this country and throughout the world.

For the Media: Responsible reporting on suicide, including stories of hope and resilience, can prevent more suicides. Please visit the Suicide Reporting Recommendations for more information.

About the Kevin and Margaret Hines Foundation: The Hines Foundation identifies and invests in the most promising research, programs and interventions for suicide prevention and brain/mental health. We fund and support a series of focused initiatives and partner with the public sector to leverage its impact for our shared causes.

Press Contact:

Chris Maxwell
Director of Public Relations and Media
cmaxwell@suicidology.org

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Call for Submissions: Public Health Approaches to Suicide Prevention

Co-Editors: Bruce E. Crow, Psy.D., Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine; Robert J. Cramer, Ph.D., Associate Professor & Belk Distinguished Scholar, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Number of articles: 10-15

Open Date: October 21, 2019

Submission Deadline: February 29, 2020

Suicide is widely recognized as an important public health problem. Public health approaches and social-ecological models of suicide conceptually shape many state and national level suicide prevention strategic plans. However, there is less understanding and application of public health approaches to suicide prevention compared to clinical interventions. Public health approaches exist (e.g., gate-keeper training, pertinent policies); however, further research is needed to build a robust empirical and theoretical base to public health approaches to suicide prevention. In response to this need, the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) recently created a Public Health Committee to continue efforts toward developing the science, theory and practice of public health approaches to suicide prevention.

This Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior special issue aims to provide a platform for empirical and other public health suicide prevention advancements. The requirement for fit with the special issue is articulation, demonstration, or testing of a public health approach to suicide prevention. Example topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

Evaluation (e.g., feasibility, pilot study) of multi-level suicide prevention approaches.
Application of existing population-based (e.g., policy analysis, community advocacy) or systemic (e.g., Zero Suicide, gate-keeper training) approaches to local, state, national or cross-national contexts.
Examination of suicide prevention strategies/programs in vulnerable populations (e.g., school-aged youth, immigrants, military).
Investigation of comparative studies of suicide prevention risk and protective factors.
Evaluation of public health measurement in suicide prevention.
Assessment of population level approaches to identifying persons at-risk across settings (e.g., universal screening in primary care or workplace).
Empirical study of public health policies impacting suicide-related outcomes.
Studies that add evidence to or refine public health suicide prevention theories or further distinguish public health suicide prevention from clinical interventions.

Submission Instructions:

All submissions must adhere to the Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior Guide for Authors. Authors should prepare two versions of their submission: one with author information included and one blinded copy for peer review. Submissions should be sent with a cover letter to SLTBPH1@gmail.com.

Email inquiries can be sent to special issue Co-Editors at SLTBPH1@gmail.com.

A call to action for workplaces to make suicide prevention a health priority

WASHINGTON (October 10, 2019) — Today on World Mental Health Day, the American Association of Suicidology (AAS), American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), and United Suicide Survivors International (United Survivors), announce their collaboration and release of the first ‘National Guidelines for Workplace Suicide Prevention.’ These Guidelines — built by listening to the expertise of diverse groups like HR, employment law, employee assistance professionals, labor and safety leaders, and many people who had experienced a suicide crisis while they were employed — will help employers and workplaces become proactively involved in suicide prevention in the workplace. Employers ready to become vocal, visible and visionary and who are ready to take the pledge to make suicide prevention a health and safety priority visit WorkplaceSuicidePrevention.com.

“Our collaborative partners envision a world where workplaces and professional associations join in the global suicide prevention effort by building and sustaining comprehensive strategies embedded within their health and safety priorities,” said Sally Spencer-Thomas, Psy.D., and President of United Suicide Survivors International and Co-Chair for the Workplace Committee of the American Association of Suicidology. “Across the United States, workplaces are taking a closer look at mental health promotion and suicide prevention, shifting their role and perspective on suicide from ‘not our business,’ to a mindset that says ‘we can do better.’ We hope this ground-breaking effort helps provide the inspiration and the roadmap to move workplaces and the organizations that support them from inactive bystanders to bold leaders.”

Many different positions can benefit from these guidelines including leadership, HR, community collaborators who will partner in the process, investors who can contribute resources for the development and sustainability of these guidelines, evaluators who can assess the effectiveness of workplace suicide prevention, peers (co-workers, family and friends) who want to help, and many others.

“I lost two brothers to suicide and I am sure some of their co-workers saw and knew things I was not privy to. It is time to make workplace suicide prevention a top priority,” said Dennis Gillan, a speaker for Mental Health/Suicide Prevention and President of DGIF LLC. “We typically spend more time with our co-workers than our families and they will see the best and worst in us as workplace challenges arise. Mental health promotion and suicide prevention should be a part of every workplace culture. The opportunity is now, not after a workplace crisis.”

“Union Pacific is committed to suicide prevention in the workplace and in the communities we serve across the nation,” said Mark R. Jones, PhD, General Director Health and Medical Services for Union Pacific Railroad. “We believe that by taking the pledge and adopting these new guidelines, we can be a force for elevating the national conversation about suicide — and for how to build strategies in the workplace to prevent the pain caused by suicide and suicidal behavior.”

The guidelines, designed to be cross-cutting through private and public sectors, large and small employers, and all industries will:

Give employers and professional associations an opportunity to pledge to engage in the effort of suicide prevention. Sign the pledge here: WorkplaceSuicidePrevention.com.
Demonstrate an implementation structure for workplace best practices in a comprehensive, public health approach.
Provide data and resources to advance the cause of workplace suicide prevention.
Bring together diverse stakeholders in a collaborative public-private model.
Make recommendations for easily deployed tools, trainings and resources for both short-term action and comprehensive and sustained strategy.

“As Americans spend more time at work, it is vitally important we create workplaces that recognize and reward employees that look out for each other and who reach out when those around them are struggling. When people are willing to provide support in the place where they spend much of their time, we will have a higher chance of connecting those who need mental health treatment to the available treatment,” said Maggie Mortali, MPH, AFSP Senior Director of the Interactive Screening Program and workplace mental health expert. “Everyone needs to know how to create a safe workplace. These guidelines should be used in every workplace across the nation, no matter how big or small the company. Workers’ well-being should always be a priority.”

The creation of the guidelines were prompted after the nation’s first Workplace Task Force was formed in 2010 to determine what role workplaces might have in assisting in the implementation of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. Now named the ‘Workplace Committee for Suicide Prevention and Postvention,” this cross-disciplinary team of national experts is housed under the umbrella of the American Association of Suicidology. Over the past decade, this committee has successfully developed several blueprints and resources to help workplaces prevent suicide and to support workers facing suicide crises. More here: https://staging.sucidology.org/about-aas/committees/

After the CDC’s 2018 published report that ranked suicide rates by industry, some employers started to feel more of a sense of urgency and requested tools to protect their workers from this form of crisis and tragedy. The Committee resolved to do something more impactful: to create a set of National Guidelines for Workplace Suicide Prevention. Over the next two years, the group enrolled over 200 partners into the effort and subsequently forged a core partnership to conduct an exploratory analysis. The purpose of this initiative was to develop an interactive, accessible and effective tool to help employers implement best practices to reduce suicides. Some of these best practices are about supporting despairing or grieving employees and others are about fixing psychosocial hazards at work that can drive people to suicidal despair.

“As partners in this effort, we aim to change the culture of workplaces to reduce elements that job strain like sleep disruption, job insecurity and low job control — things shown to be connected to suicide risk. In addition, workplaces can challenge negative, fear-based, prejudicial and discriminatory thoughts that prevent people from reaching out for help, while at the same time promoting psychologically healthy norms and environments,” said Colleen Creighton, Executive Director of the American Association of Suicidology. “We know these guidelines will not only save lives, but will also alleviate intense emotional suffering by making changes to systems while helping individuals in the workplace.”

“As an academic suicide researcher and prior to that, an employee assistance clinical social worker, I am thrilled to see the culmination of research and best practices resulting in clear and standardized guidelines for which work organization and other workplace leaders can use to improve their overall efforts to reduce suicide,” said Jodi Frey, PhD, LCSW-C, Associate Professor, School of Social Work, University of Maryland and Co-Chair of the Workplace Committee. “These guidelines will help bridge the workplace with fields of public health and behavioral health to form stronger collaborations resulting in improved quality of life for employees and family members, while making significant strides to reduce the ever-increasing suicide death rate in the U.S.”

To learn more and to take the pledge, please visit WorkplaceSuicidePrevention.com and follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

ABOUT AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF SUICIDOLOGY (AAS)

Founded in 1968 by Edwin S. Shneidman, PhD, AAS promotes the research of suicide and its prevention, public awareness programs, public education and training for professionals and volunteers. The membership of AAS includes mental health and public health professionals, researchers, suicide prevention and crisis intervention centers, school districts, crisis center volunteers, survivors of suicide loss, attempt survivors, and a variety of lay persons who have in interest in suicide prevention. You can learn more about AAS at www.suicidology.org.

ABOUT AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION (AFSP)

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. AFSP creates a culture that’s smart about mental health through education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, and with a public policy office in Washington, D.C., AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states with programs and events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report, and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

ABOUT UNITED SUICIDE SURVIVORS INTERNATIONAL (UNITED SURVIVORS)

United Suicide Survivors International is an independent international organization that serves as a home for people who have experienced suicide loss, suicide attempts and suicidal thoughts and feelings, and their friends and families — collectively known as people with lived experience with suicide – to leverage their expertise for large scale change. For more information, visit www.unitesurvivors.org or follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Press Contact: Chris Maxwell

Washington, D.C. (September 5, 2019): Today, on the eve of National Suicide Prevention Week and World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10, 2019), the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) announced the launch of the new National Center for the Prevention of Youth Suicide (NCPYS) resource website. The NCPYS is an ongoing initiative of AAS driven by youth advisors and AAS’s Youth Suicide Prevention Committee, including partnerships with the Boys and Girls Club of America, GoGuardian, Jasper’s Game Day, and the notOK App, among others.

“The NCPYS has been providing information, resources, and guidance to youth, parents, civic organizations, and others since 2012,” said Amy Kulp, M.S., Director of NCPYS. “Thanks to our Youth Advisors and a committee of experts, we are directly engaging youth in our messaging and creating programs based on best practices and research. With the re-launch of the NCPYS website and recruitment of additional Youth Advisors, we are renewing and broadening our efforts to prevent suicide and suicidal behaviors in young people.”

Most recently, the NCPYS partnered with Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Boys and Girls Club of America in Columbus, OH to launch an innovative suicide prevention training focused on supporting youth in out of school spaces. The purpose of the program is to educate club members about the warning signs of suicide, to empower them to respond if they observe these signs in themselves or others, to learn and practice effective coping strategies drawn from core DBT skills, and to develop a personalized coping plan to manage crises.

“The Youth Suicide Prevention Committee is comprised of a multidisciplinary team of AAS members including clinicians, educators, researchers, loss survivors and people with lived experience,” said Norine Vander Hooven, chair of the committee. “With the overall effort of this team to bring awareness, provide education, support, and assistance to those serving our youth combined with the voices and activities of the NCPYS, we are preventing suicide and suicidal behaviors in youth, teens and young adults.”

Over 47,000 people in the United States died by suicide in 2017. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death nationally, and it is the 2nd leading cause of death for youth aged 10-24.

For the Media: Responsible reporting on suicide, including stories of hope and resilience, can prevent more suicides. Please visit the Suicide Reporting Recommendations for more information.

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My name is Lisa Klein and I am a documentary filmmaker.

While working on our previous film, Of Two Minds, about people living with bipolar disorder, we learned that suicide is too often an option for people struggling with mental illness. Way too often. But if there ever can be a silver lining to the suicide option, it comes in the form of attempt survivors, people who live to tell their stories. No matter how hard you try to conjure up clues, answers and should haves, all the retrospect in the world cannot take you into the mind of somebody who is willing to die to escape the pain of everyday living.

A suicide attempt survivor can, and will, save lives.

As a survivor of both my father’s and brother’s suicide, I have struggled with the “why”s for years, along with the guilt, shame and confusion that lingers in suicide’s wake. I’ll never know why my dad chose to die. And nobody talked about my brother. My mother could never bring herself to say the words, “My son killed himself.” No mother should have to say that. Ever.

I will probably spend the rest of my life searching for reasons that I can live with. Even though I know that I will never find them. But the insights that we all can gain from those who have stood on the precipice, those who are still there, are worth so much.

And yet …

… that word.

That word, “suicide,” that brings conversations to a halt and evokes primal fears of the darkest of all human experiences. But speaking the word itself is not the problem. The silence that so often follows is.

Our documentary, The S Word, tackles one of the most unfathomable and cloistered issues of our time by exploring suicide from many points of view. We’ve talked to scientists, clinicians and advocates, yet have focused primarily on the intimate voices of those with lived experience – both attempt and loss survivors – and their loved ones.

Many have not only survived, they have courageously turned their experiences into strength and hope in the struggle toward suicide prevention. Speaking with this range of people has provided perspectives, emotions and academic reasoning in a personal way. It puts a human face on this very painful, yet potentially hopeful, topic.

Several members of our filmmaking team have been touched by suicide in some way as well, either as attempt survivors themselves or through family members they have lost. We all have experienced the deafening silence that accompanies the S word. We don’t want to hear that any more.

Since premiering The S Word at the AAS Conference in 2017, we have had the opportunity to screen it at hundreds of venues around the world – including college campuses, high schools, film festivals, mental health and civic organizations. Aside from the U.S., the film has screened in Lithuania, Malaysia, Indonesia and Canada. So far.

Both The S Word and Of Two Minds are currently being distributed educationally by Good Docs and will be available via streaming within the year.

There is no more highly charged and personal issue for me, and for that reason we have expanded beyond the film by highlighting stories on our website. We filmed over 300 hours of footage, and once I realized that was too long for a movie we launched a series of one-minute videos entitled S Word Stories – stories that reach beyond the film.

And I want to acknowledge the American Association of Suicidology for opening their doors to us and introducing us to many of the people who are now in our film. The interviews and the panels we shot there are so vivid that we were faced with way too many editorial choices, particularly for somebody as indecisive as myself. Hence, The S Word Stories.

It is way past time for our society to boldly talk about suicide because no family should have to experience that which radiates outward for generations to come. We will continue to blow the doors off the gallery of secrets and open the conversation, extinguishing the shame and silence that has clung to suicide for way too long.

That’s why we made the film. That’s why we continue to show it. That’s why we want to meet as many people as we can who are living through this, every day.

I’m not going to pretend that there aren’t a lot of tragic stories, because the reality is that losing somebody to suicide is the worst thing ever, from my experience. However, saving lives through really effective suicide prevention, that’s world-changing stuff that so many of you in the suicide prevention community have been working toward for decades.

We are so honored to be part of that.

Thank you.

Press contact: Chris Maxwell, Communications Coordinator

Washington, D.C. (August 23, 2019): Following last year’s incredibly popular #AAS365 campaign, The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) announced today that its campaign to recognize National Suicide Prevention Month and Week will again focus on awareness and education every day of the year. For this year’s campaign, AAS has collaborated with several large, national agencies ranging from veterans groups, and law enforcement agencies, to celebrities, legislators, and documentary filmmakers. AAS is especially excited to collaborate with Rachel Bloom, creator and star of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, to help amplify the message of suicide prevention.

“The amazing people at the AAS are working hard to both change and save lives and I’m honored to help their cause in any way that I can,” said Rachel Bloom.

By focusing on suicide prevention during the 365 days of every year, AAS is empowering the nearly 7 million people directly affected by suicide annually, the 1.5 million who attempt suicide each year, and the tens of millions impacted by it, to continue to advocate for its prevention, collaborate for effective change, and produce impactful, peer-created content all year long. #AAS365 is about giving the power of resiliency and healing back to loss and attempt survivors, families, friends, and loved ones, allowing them to directly participate in changing the culture around suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention.

“The scale and reach of suicide is too large to ignore any longer – at local, regional, and national levels,”said Colleen Creighton, Executive Director of AAS. “Nearly every state in the country has seen increases in the number of suicides in the last two decades. We’ve spent too much time neglecting an overburdened system and it’s time to address the crisis knocking on our front door.”

Suicide killed over 47,000 people in 2017 in the United States, is the 10th leading cause of death nationally, and is the 2nd leading cause of death for youth aged 10-24.

Confirmed Events Scheduled for September:

Launch of the new National Center for the Prevention of Youth Suicide
Launch of campaign with Rachel Bloom
“Badass Rebels of Suicide Prevention” Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) – September 10, 1 p.m. Eastern
Release of the National Guidelines for Workplace Suicide Prevention
Release of Special Virtual Issue of Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior Journal: Firearms and Suicide
Scattering CJ Film World Premiere – Camden International Film Festival – September 14
- In collaboration with AAS #TeamCJ will offer a mental health bootcamp following the documentary screening. It will be the first-ever mental health training/suicide prevention training to take place at film festival. Open to all, this will be a proactive gathering to boost awareness and encourage healthy practices.
Facebook Live Events
- Rachel Bloom
- Stack Up – September 11, 1 p.m. Eastern
- American Legion – In conjunction with live, in-person panel of veterans suicide loss survivors – September 12, 2 p.m. Eastern
- All-day expert interviews for National Physician Suicide Awareness Day – September 17
And much more to be announced…

The #AAS365 campaign site features resources for suicide prevention groups, organizations, and media professionals across the country, encouraging them to participate in National Suicide Prevention Month activities. There are shareable social media graphics and a section to post information about local activities.

For the Media: Responsible reporting on suicide, including stories of hope and resilience, can prevent more suicides. Please visit the Suicide Reporting Recommendations for more information.

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American Association of Suicidology Urges Congress to Fund Crisis Services at Scale

Contact: Chris Maxwell, Communications Coordinator

Washington, D.C. (August 15, 2019) – The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) applauds the FCC for its work and recommendations to proceed with the unique, 988 three-digit telephone code for mental health and suicide prevention services. It is now time to ensure these services are properly standardized and funded at the scale of the problem. Nearly 7 million people are directly affected by suicide every year, with almost 1.5 million people attempting suicide in that same timeframe. These are rates that require solid infrastructure to adequately and compassionately address the demand.

“Today we are thankful to the Federal Communications Commission for their recognition that now is the time for a nationwide three-digit phone line for mental health and suicide prevention crisis,” said Becky Stoll, LCSW, AAS Crisis Center Division Chair, and Vice President, Crisis & Disaster Management at Centerstone. “Now we turn to our colleagues in Congress for further conversation on this issue including funding. Having this number in the United States will surely help in making great strides to break down the walls of stigma around mental health issues.”

Over the years, we’ve seen the current system struggle to adequately fund crisis centers, both at a regional level, and during surges in demand (e.g. celebrity suicides). Smaller crisis centers, still answering thousands of calls a year, are quietly closing their doors.

“The life-and-death nature of these services demand that a client-centric, population-based funding model be put in place in all states to ensure high-quality crisis services have sustainable funding for 24/7/365 availability and call volume surges,” said Anthony Wood, AAS Board Chair.

Likewise, it is imperative that crisis centers answering the 3-digit crisis telephone number must adhere to evidence-based policies, protocols, and staff/volunteer training like those that meet the minimum of AAS’s Crisis Center accreditation.

“We wouldn’t ask 911 operators or first responders to do their jobs with insufficient tools and resources,” said Travis Atkinson, AAS Crisis Center Committee Chair. “Crisis Center staff are commissioned to perform a very serious task–support people who are suicidal or in severe emotional distress. We owe it to them to provide supreme support through funding and resources to encourage their ongoing sustainability.”

Additionally, the public has a minimal expectation for crisis services to evolve beyond the analog system currently in place to include revolutionary digital technologies focused on security, privacy, and reliability. These features must be included in future iterations of national crisis intervention and suicide prevention infrastructure.

For the Media: Responsible reporting on suicide, including stories of hope and resilience, can prevent more suicides. Please visit the Suicide Reporting Recommendations for more information.

About AAS: Founded in 1968 by Edwin S. Shneidman, PhD, AAS promotes the research of suicide and its prevention, public awareness programs, public education and training for professionals and volunteers. The membership of AAS includes mental health and public health professionals, researchers, suicide prevention and crisis intervention centers, school districts, crisis center volunteers, survivors of suicide loss, attempt survivors, and a variety of lay persons who have in interest in suicide prevention. You can learn more about AAS at www.suicidology.org.

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American Association of Suicidology Applauds Netflix & 13 Reasons Why Creators for Removing Graphic Suicide Scene

Washington, D.C. (July 16, 2019) – The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) applauds both Netflix and the creators of the popular series 13 Reasons Why in their decision to remove a graphic suicide depiction from the first season. This is an example of a major player in the entertainment industry responding to research and expert consultation and attempting to mitigate further negative effects. Suicide remains the second leading cause of death for youth ages 15-24, the target demographic for this television series. For those experiencing thoughts of suicide, especially in this age range and those who are already vulnerable, graphic depictions of suicide can significantly increase risk of an attempt.

“Our ongoing conversations with Netflix suggest that they are listening to feedback from the suicide prevention community about what works and doesn’t work in their programming,” says Jonathan Singer, PhD, LCSW, AAS President and Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at Loyola University Chicago. “Some will say that Netflix’s actions are too little too late. I believe that it is never too late to do the right thing in suicide prevention. There are thousands of suicide prevention expert members of AAS who are willing and able to provide consultation to Netflix and other media companies around issues of suicide. We look forward to continuing to work with them, with individual creators, and the entertainment industry to help solidify and strengthen the standards of depicting suicide and related risks in popular content.”

Recent research has shown increases in both suicide attempts in adolescents as well as an increase in emergency department visits of youth in the US following the release of 13 Reasons Why in 2017. While these associations don’t necessarily imply direct causation, the phenomena was concerning to many suicidologists, researchers, and parents across the country. While this decision on the part of Netflix is very welcome, these conversations regarding mental health and suicide messaging certainly need to be prioritized in the creation of future content.

“Partnering with the media to help them portray suicide accurately and in a way that provides hope and resources for those impacted by experiences related to suicide can make a positive difference,” says John Ackerman, PhD, member of AAS’s Communications Committee and Suicide Prevention Coordinator for the Center for Suicide Prevention and Research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “There is more work to be done throughout the entertainment industry, but it is an encouraging step to see a high profile show making changes for the safety of viewers. We hope even more research and more media collaboration results from this decision.”

For the Media: Responsible reporting on suicide, including stories of hope and resilience, can prevent more suicides. Please visit the Suicide Reporting Recommendations for more information.

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