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Hellove and Zack Gray Reveal New Upcoming Track Accompanying Mental Health Campaign ‘Off The Edge’ in Conjunction With the American Association of Suicidology
#OffTheEdge
Igor Volhonski, known as Hellove, and Las Vegas-based singer/songwriter Zack Gray have joined forces to create an important mental health campaign, ‘Off The Edge’, right in time for May’s mental health awareness month. Paired alongside an upcoming single and music video slated for release next month, the accompanying campaign leading into both places a major focus on the ongoing mental health crisis the world has been, and is currently, facing. The endeavor takes the form of a website that features an episodic format, eventually providing users with appropriate resources.
‘Dark Cloud’, ‘On The Edge’, ‘The Light’, and ‘The Journey Ahead’ serve as the four main videos that explain in-detail, and bring attention to, various topics such as anxiety, depression, suicide, and many other similar concepts in a granular, in-depth fashion. The site then directs the visitor to solutions, connecting them with legitimate sources that will be able to provide viable support and professional advice, all officially supported in conjunction with the American Association of Suicidology. To keep on top of all things related to the campaign, users are encouraged to check out Hellove and Gray’s socials, which will contain all of the most up-to-date information.
Hellove is a multifaceted Estonian talent who has been releasing his own unique creative vision since October of last year. Bursting onto the scene with his debut single, ‘Lie’ featuring L.A.-based musician Trove, the powerhouse quickly followed this up with his sophomore endeavor, ‘I Got You’, featuring burgeoning singer/songwriter Gloria Kim. His recent official music video for the latter has hit over 7.2k streams via YouTube since its release at the tail end of February. Additionally, since October both singles have also received over 163k combined hits across all streaming platforms, setting an exciting precedent as for what to expect with ‘Off The Edge’.
Zack Gray is a budding musician based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. When he was formerly active in the band Wrings, in addition to other endeavors, he opened for music industry heavyweights the likes of AWOLNATION, Dashboard Confessional, Imagine Dragons, and The Neighbourhood. Recently, his vocal talent has been featured on several dance music tracks from talents such as Nurko, Nora Van Elken, and MITiS.
‘Off The Edge’ Campaign Release Schedule: Episode 1 – Wednesday, May 26th (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cehfL92JbW4) Episode 2 – Wednesday, June 2nd Song release – Wednesday, June 9th Episode 3 – Wednesday, June 16th Episode 4 – Wednesday, June 23rd Music video release – Friday, June 25th
About AAS: The American Association of Suicidology is the world’s largest membership-based suicide prevention organization. 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 professionals, survivors of suicide loss, attempt survivors, and a variety of laypersons who have in interest in suicide prevention. You can learn more about AAS at www.suicidology.org.
Find a Helpline Tool Expands to the United States in Partnership with the American Association of Suicidology
Washington, D.C. (May 19, 2021): The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) is happy to announce a partnership with New Zealand charity, Live for Tomorrow, a technology-based nonprofit that launched its free Find A Helpline tool in New Zealand in September. The tool, available at findahelpline.com, is the world’s largest resource of mental health and crisis helplines, offering over 1,600 services in 66 countries that provide immediate emotional support over phone, text or web chat. Live for Tomorrow works directly with helplines to ensure their data remains accurate and reliable. From today, people seeking access to crisis support through AAS’s website will be bridged to Find A Helpline. This partnership is being announced in recognition of the first-ever Mental Health Action Day, an open-source movement of more than 1000 brands, organizations and cultural leaders to drive culture from mental health awareness to mental health action.
“We’re very excited to partner with Live for Tomorrow on such a critical resource,” said Colleen Creighton, AAS CEO. “Allowing our members and visitors to instantly and easily connect with the help they need will save lives. This tool and partnership are directly representative of our mission of suicide prevention.”
AAS has a long history of leadership in helplines and the crisis line space. AAS’s founder, Ed Shneidman, alongside Norman Farberow, founded the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center, the first phone-based crisis center in the US in 1958. AAS is currently the premiere provider for crisis center accreditation, with accredited centers across North America, including centers that make up the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and nationally recognized organizations like the Veterans Crisis Line, and The Trevor Project.
AAS also continually supports and enhances the infrastructure of crisis centers throughout the US by providing funding and project support, legislative advocacy, representation through an entire division in the association, and a Crisis Services chair position on its Board of Directors.
“This partnership is an example of the impact that can be achieved when organizations come together,” says Elliot Taylor, Executive Director of Live For Tomorrow. “Every day, people across the United States use Find A Helpline to seek immediate emotional support. By partnering with the American Association of Suicidology, more people in crisis will be able to access help, when and where they need it.”
This partnership could not be established at a better time, given the increasing rates of mental health concerns, especially in youth, in the US over the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. AAS and Live for Tomorrow are committed to increasing access to free, personalized, and confidential support for anyone who needs it.
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. For additional information, please visit SuicideReportingToolkit.com.
About AAS: The American Association of Suicidology is the world’s largest membership-based suicide prevention organization. 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 professionals, survivors of suicide loss, attempt survivors, and a variety of laypersons who have in interest in suicide prevention. You can learn more about AAS at www.suicidology.org.
About Live for Tomorrow: Live for Tomorrow is a New Zealand based charity working globally to build better crisis support for the digital era. Born out of a deep frustration of how hard it can be to access help when you’re struggling, Live for Tomorrow works to make it easier for everyone to receive emotional support, when and where they need it. They built the world’s first proactive social media helpline, supporting teens in over 50 countries, and are the creators of Find A Helpline, the world’s largest and most accessible resource of free mental health and crisis helplines. You can learn more about Live For Tomorrow at livefortomorrow.co
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BIPOC Mentor Fellowship Mentees Announced
We’re excited to announce the inaugural cohort of the AAS’s BIPOC Mentor Fellowship. Five mentors and five mentees will spend the next year exploring issues related to suicide prevention and postvention in BIPOC communities. These 10 amazing people will join us at AAS22 in Chicago to share their experiences and the outcomes of their projects. AAS sees this as an essential step in supporting expert and emerging expert BIPOC suicidologists. The mentor/mentee pairs are:
Suicidology Conference Highlights Suicide Prevention in Popular Culture and Elite Sports
Washington, D.C. (April 20, 2021): The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) is proud to host AAS21, its 54th Annual Conference, April 21 – 24, 2021. The conference will take place via a unique hybrid format – both in person in Orlando, FL at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista Hotel and also virtually for those across the globe. AAS will welcome over 2100 attendees from across the world (a record-setting attendance) via this innovative platform, including world-class speakers, experts, and featured events. The Press Kit highlights featured keynote speakers, including Zak Williams, Robin Williams’ son, and many others. AAS is also pleased to announce the inclusion of two new very special panels:
“Our Critical Role in Conversations about Suicide Prevention” featuring Ashley Eckstein, voice of Star Wars’ Ahsoka Tano.
Keynote Panel “Elevating Mental Health in Elite Sport” featuring, Deja Young, Paralympic Gold Medalist in Track and Field and current 2021 Paralympic Hopeful; Steve Mesler, Olympic Gold Medalist in Bobsled, CEO of Classroom Champions, USOPC Board of Directors; Jessica Bartley, Director of Mental Health Services, USOPC; Troy Taylor, High-Performance Director, US Ski & Snowboard; and Shannon Decker, Executive Director, The Speedy Foundation, Advisor to USOPC’s External Mental Health Task Force.
“AAS21 will be unlike any conference we have ever hosted. Our plan to host live sessions in Orlando along with virtual sessions will afford the opportunity to provide the same content expected at an AAS conference. By working with our incredible partners, we’re ensuring an effective and safe conference for everyone,” said Becky Stoll, AAS21 Conference Chair.
We’ll also be featuring a virtual screening of Each and Every Day, an MTV Documentaries and Gidalya Pictures film that follows 9 young adults as they share their experiences surrounding mental health issues and suicide, Thursday night at 6:00 p.m. EST. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the film’s director, Alexandra Shiva, and producer, Lindsey Megrue. Watch the trailer here. AAS consulted during the development of this film and is thrilled to be able to offer it to attendees.
“We know that people are able to recover and grow after a crisis. The global crises of 2020 have disrupted our norms, but they also provide an opportunity for innovative solutions like offering the field a hybrid conference. AAS has always sought to bring people together so that the knowledge from professional and personal experience can be applied to address suicide, and the world needs that more than ever. AAS21 will enable us to safely and effectively bring expertise to the table from around the world,” said DeQuincy Lezine, AAS21 Program Chair.
In a special event at AAS21, Fenway Jones, Founder of Jasper’s Game Day (JGD) will generously present AAS with a check totaling more than $63,000. JGD uses the power and community-building aspects of tabletop gaming, like Dungeons & Dragons, to raise money for mental health, suicide prevention, and crisis intervention organizations. Fenway and JGD have been long-time partners with AAS, effectively helping to spread donations to crisis intervention services across the country, including some of AAS’s accredited crisis centers and providers.
“I’m really excited about the design and structure of this year’s conference as there is something for everyone. From the key in-person networking and conversations that are integral to spurring new collaborative projects to the broadened reach that online options provide, this hybrid approach will not disappoint” said Colleen Creighton, CEO of AAS.
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. For additional information, please visit SuicideReportingToolkit.com.
About AAS: The American Association of Suicidology is the world’s largest membership-based suicide prevention organization. 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 professionals, survivors of suicide loss, attempt survivors, and a variety of laypersons 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 Welcomes Don Wright to Its Board of Directors
Washington, D.C. (April 12, 2021): The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) is pleased to announce that Don Wright, founder and CEO of Clarigent Health, has joined its Board of Directors. Don’s work involves triangulating mental health metrics from the patient, the clinician, and the company’s proprietary vocal biomarkers technology. This supports earlier detection of risk, continuous monitoring of progress over time, and group-level insights for mental health care organizations. Prior to Clarigent, Don spent the previous decade developing the GeneSight pharmacogenomics product at Assurex Health helping almost two million people get on the right treatment for depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric conditions.
“I am delighted to join AAS who are leading the way in suicide prevention. The need is more urgent than ever and there is much we need to change,” said Wright. “The exciting thing is that we in the healthcare industry are rethinking how mental healthcare is delivered and paid for in the United States, with increasing recognition that mental health is physical health. I look forward to adding my voice to the AAS effort, bringing perspective from my years in industry as well as my lived experience”
Don is the President of the Suicide Prevention Initiative and Depression Research Foundation. He is also the chairman of Inagene Diagnostics, a pharmacogenomics company specializing in mental health and pain treatment. He is the chairman of the Hamilton Mill a Cincinnati area startup accelerator and a member of the board of advisors of OhioX, the board of advisors of the Xavier University Master of Science in Customer Analytics Program, the NKU Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the University of Cincinnati Technology Accelerator for Commercialization, as well as the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Digital Health and Care committee.
“We are excited to have Don join our Board,” said Anthony Wood, AAS Board Chair. “He’s a long-time supporter and suicide prevention champion, having joined us several years ago as a loss survivor. Don is a respected member of the biomedical startup community, not only bringing his proven track record of innovation but also his experience in harnessing research and implementing evidence-based initiatives. His expertise expands the private sector presence on our board. Ensuring professional diversity was identified as a top priority for the long term sustainability of AAS, a core goal for the organization identified during our strategic planning process.”
Don is the father of three children, Justin (who we lost to suicide in 2017), Abigail, and Samuel.
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 divisions and committees, and its Board of Directors 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 Media as Partners in Suicide Prevention: Suicide Reporting Recommendations for more information. For additional information, please visit SuicideReportingToolkit.com.
About AAS: The American Association of Suicidology is the world’s largest membership-based suicide prevention organization. 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 professionals, survivors of suicide loss, attempt survivors, and a variety of laypersons 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 the Biden Administration for Tackling Gun Violence
Washington, D.C. (April 8, 2021) – The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) expresses its gratitude to the Biden Administration for taking action to curb gun violence and for directly addressing suicide in this context. Suicide is an often-neglected topic in gun violence prevention discussions yet half of all suicides result from the use of a firearm, and a majority of all firearm deaths are suicides. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with this administration and other gun violence prevention organizations to reduce suicides by firearm. Addressing firearm suicides at a national level is critical.
Established in 2018, AAS’s Firearms and Suicide Committee has laid out several priorities in the effort to lower rates of suicide by firearm. This is a promising first step on behalf of the Administration, but we need to continue to fund research to better understand the intersection of firearms and suicide, to study how population scale legislation can affect that intersection, and to effectively implement evidence-based intervention strategies across the country.
“The Biden administration has announced a series of initiatives aimed at reducing the burden of gun violence in America,” said Michael Anestis, PhD, Co-Chair of AAS’s Firearms and Suicide Committee and Executive Director of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center. “The American Association of Suicidology is grateful that, in doing so, the administration specifically mentioned firearm suicide. Suicide accounts for nearly two-thirds of all American gun deaths – nearly 25,000 deaths each year – and effectively addressing this issue will require leadership willing to openly acknowledge the problem. Pursuing data-driven solutions like extreme risk protection orders is a meaningful first step and a sign that the Administration is willing to actively pursue data-driven life saving measures to prevent firearm suicide.”
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: The American Association of Suicidology is the world’s largest membership-based suicide prevention organization. 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 laypersons who have in interest in suicide prevention. You can learn more about AAS at www.suicidology.org
Suicides Decrease in 2020, However the Full Picture is Still Not Clear
Washington, D.C. (April 2, 2020) – Preliminary data in a report in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) shows that while there was a 17.7% increase in overall deaths in the US in 2020, there were 2677 fewer suicides (44,834) than those reported in 2019 (47,511). Due to the number of COVID-19 related deaths, suicide dropped to the 11th leading cause of death. It should be noted that this is an estimated total and not final national data as officially reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These data follow reports in 2018 of an increase in suicide rates and 2019 with a smaller decrease in rates after nearly a decade of annual increases in the number of suicide deaths. Previous reports have shown increases in suicide deaths among all demographic groups as well, further illuminating the critical need to fund comprehensive suicide prevention initiatives in the US. After consulting with subject matter experts, the American Association of Suicidology would like to offer the following information.
What we know:
This is a very promising estimate. We hope that this is signaling a trend in lowered suicide deaths in the country and an indication that the efforts of suicide prevention initiatives are effective in lowering suicide rates at population scale.
Some municipalities and locations are reporting higher numbers of suicides in 2020, which indicates that some vulnerable populations exist based on location, access to services, demographic subgroup, or other factors.
What we don’t know:
We don’t know for certain that specific suicide prevention efforts are lowering rates at a national level.
We do not know if these numbers are, as we’ve seen in the past, a result of lowered suicide rates during a time of national crises.
We do not know if some suicides are being masked by COVID deaths in 2020, meaning some of those 2677+ people who would have died by suicide, instead died by COVID or had COVID at the time of their suicide and were characterized as such by coroners/medical examiners.
Overdose deaths also increased in 2020, and it is often hard to distinguish some overdoses from suicides, again possibly masking the true number.
We often focus only on the total number of suicide deaths, however we have very poor mechanisms for capturing the true number of suicide attempts in this country. So while a lowered rate of suicides is a good signal, it doesn’t necessarily indicate a lowered level of despair in the country. In fact, many recent reports have shown higher levels of mental health issues, including anxiety, depression and suicide thoughts in certain demographics.
We should be cautious in celebrating this decrease too early as the data points from 2019 and 2020 do not necessarily indicate a trend. We may see a delayed increase in suicides in 2021 or 2022 similar to what we witnessed following the financial collapse in 2008.
Christopher W. Drapeau, PhD, HSPP, Licensed Psychologist and Adjunct Faculty Member in the Department of Health Policy and Management, IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health provided further explanation:
“It is tempting to conclude that the decreases in suicide for 2019 and the provisional decreases for 2020 reflect our hard work as a field to reduce suicide but surface-level thinking about changes in mortality data can be deceptive. It has long been argued that medicolegal professionals (i.e., medical examiners and coroners) tend to set a higher evidentiary threshold for certifying suicide as a manner of death compared to other manners of death (i.e., natural, accidental, homicide, and undetermined). If this argument holds for most medicolegal professionals across the United States, then it could be argued further that an increase in suicide should be viewed as a more accurate approximation of reality than a decrease given the level of rigor that a confirmed suicide must meet to be certified as such.”
“Additional reasons why it is wise to remain cautious in the wake of recent declines in suicide are due to evidence suggesting that:
suicides are misclassified as other manners of death and significant increases have been observed for unintentional/accidental deaths from 2015 to 2020 (which may be a landing place for misclassified suicides)
suicides are undercounted in areas of the United States that rely on elected coroners for death investigations
suicides are undercounted for specific demographic groups (i.e., Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Women) and certain mechanisms of injury (e.g., poisoning/overdoses, drowning, singular motor vehicle fatalities, etc.)
surveys of Americans show that reports of suicide ideation and other risk factors for suicide have been elevated to a significant degree during the pandemic and evidence showing why deaths by suicide have decreased while risk factors have increased is lacking”
“If the above reasons could be ruled out as explanations for the reported decreases in suicide for 2019 and 2020, then that would provide greater confidence in the conclusion that these decreases are true decreases and that we are doing things across the country that may be moving us in the right direction as a field. The Suicidology listserv discussions over the past few days also show that there are other alternative explanations to test before final conclusions are drawn about the 2019 and 2020 suicide mortality data.”
“It also may be helpful to consider that the morality data, first and foremost, represent the opinion of medicolegal professionals whenever we seek to draw conclusions about changes in mortality data over time. When noticing changes in the mortality data in general (not just suicide), it seems important to first consider whether the practices of medicolegal professionals have changed and if deaths of ambiguous intent have become more prevalent compared to past years. One question in particular that could be explored more thoroughly in the field of suicidology is: How does medicolegal professional understanding of suicide research and/or assumptions about who does and does not die by suicide influence death certifications? (especially when it comes to classifying manner of death across racial and ethnic groups, when deaths are attributed to poisoning, and/or when circumstantial evidence is minimal).”
“Finally, an argument could be made that we focus too much on mortality data as a barometer of our efforts and that there may be value in focusing more on “risk” data (e.g., suicide ideation) and examining how truly upstream efforts impact the year-to-year surveillance data on suicide-related thoughts and behaviors. Thinking big picture, is the purpose of our work to stop suicides from happening (which may compel us to pay more attention to suicide mortality data) or to empower people to the point where suicide becomes irrelevant to them? And if the purpose of suicide prevention is the latter, does mortality data allow us to measure that well?”
There is only speculation as to why suicide rates have fallen in the US. It remains important for the media, suicide prevention, and mental health organizations to communicate to the public that any single explanation for why individuals attempt or die by suicide is insufficient. In fact, it could be detrimental to imply that we can explain its causes without direct scientific evidence to support such claims. Conversely, this means that no single approach to solving the problem of suicide is sufficient, but rather a multidisciplinary, multi-sector strategy is necessary.
Systems for gathering data about suicide deaths, attempts, and ongoing suicidal experiences are significantly underdeveloped and undersupported. The US must establish better epidemiology around suicide, as well as develop innovative methods for collecting data at scale so our best researchers can help us understand what is happening. This specifically includes funding for suicide prevention at the scale of the problem, nationally, regionally, and locally. If we continue to fund suicide prevention research in a piecemeal way, we will never understand its causes or effectively support its prevention at scale. Recent increases in funding for the CDC and NIH are an excellent start but do not reflect the size and scope of the public health crisis.
“We have evidence showing the positive impact of crisis lines, training of healthcare professionals, and maintained contact with people experiencing thoughts of suicide have on decreasing suicide rates, but we need to start increasing our attention and focus on, access to lethal means. ” said Colleen Creighton, CEO of AAS. “By putting space and time between someone experiencing thoughts of suicide and their method, namely firearms, we greatly increase their chances of survival. We see very promising research surrounding firearms safety legislation and its potential to reduce suicide rates at population levels.”
In the US, there is no national requirement for crisis response training among healthcare professionals despite suicide being the 10th leading cause of death. No national standard suicide risk assessment or standardized requirement for suicide care yet exists in the private healthcare system. It is left to individual health systems to make suicide-safer care a priority. Few regulatory bodies are currently invested in the research that would make such standards of care mandatory for every patient or client. Given the scope of the public health crisis of suicide, training and regulatory bodies have much room to improve the systems of care and ensure providers are ready to help someone at risk of suicide.
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: The American Association of Suicidology is the world’s largest membership-based suicide prevention organization. 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 laypersons who have in interest in suicide prevention. You can learn more about AAS at www.suicidology.org.
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Largest National Suicide Prevention Conference on Track for Record Numbers
Washington, D.C. (March 25, 2021): The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) is proud to host AAS21, its 54th Annual Conference, April 21 – 24, 2021. The conference will take place via a unique hybrid format – both in person in Orlando, FL at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista Hotel and also virtually for those across the globe. This hybrid approach will enable AAS to critically broaden its conference impact at such a pivotal time. More than 2,000 attendees are expected, online and in-person, reflecting the demand for this content, knowledge sharing, and networking experience. At its annual conference, AAS provides the time and space for everyone – clinicians, researchers, those with lived experience, public health officials, and others – to connect and learn about ways in which we can all address the rising rate of suicide in the US and abroad while also discovering ways to create a world worth living in. The Press Kit highlights featured keynote speakers, including Zak Williams, Robin Williams’ son, and many others. The full schedule features all mainstage speakers and breakout sessions.
“AAS21 will be unlike any conference we have ever hosted. Our plan to host live sessions in Orlando along with virtual sessions will afford the opportunity to provide the same content expected at an AAS conference. By working with our incredible partners, we’re ensuring an effective and safe conference for everyone,” said Becky Stoll, AAS21 Conference Chair.
AAS21 will focus on blending diverse content, including new and innovative research and intervention practices. The conference will meet the needs of the field’s diverse audience while convening world leaders in suicide prevention to spur robust conversations and to build collaborations to achieve our shared vision and goal. This year’s conference will explore the tremendous change and growth that we have experienced in the last year, relying on the cross-pollination of specialties and expertise of attendees to break down barriers and silos that have traditionally stalled effective solutions. True, effective, public health and socially-focused suicide prevention requires everyone’s voice to find a path forward, while continuing to recognize the accomplishments of past science and research. The field must build on known solutions and embrace novel approaches to maximize effective implementation of research, prevention, and treatment.
“We know that people are able to recover and grow after a crisis. The global crises of 2020 have disrupted our norms, but they also provide an opportunity for innovative solutions like offering the field a hybrid conference. AAS has always sought to bring people together so that the knowledge from professional and personal experience can be applied to address suicide, and the world needs that more than ever. AAS21 will enable us to safely and effectively bring expertise to the table from around the world,” said DeQuincy Lezine, AAS21 Program Chair.
In 2019 (the latest year for which we have finalized data) there were 47,511 suicide deaths in the US, an age adjusted rate of 13.9 per 100,000 population. This is a reduction of 2.1% from 2018, or 833 suicide deaths. In the same year there were nearly 1.2 million suicide attempts. Unfortunately, we don’t know how the recent pandemic and instances of civil unrest will affect suicide deaths in the US and abroad, but it is our responsibility to take action now. By hosting this conference, AAS holds suicidologists and the field at large to a higher standard in how we care for our fellow humans.
“I’m really excited about the design and structure of this year’s conference as there is something for everyone. From the key in-person networking and conversations that are integral to spurring new collaborative projects to the broadened reach that online options provide, this hybrid approach will not disappoint” said Colleen Creighton, CEO of AAS.
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. For additional information, please visit SuicideReportingToolkit.com.
About AAS: The American Association of Suicidology is the world’s largest membership-based suicide prevention organization. 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 professionals, survivors of suicide loss, attempt survivors, and a variety of laypersons who have in interest in suicide prevention. You can learn more about AAS at www.suicidology.org.
American Association of Suicidology Partners with Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman to Address Suicide in Black Communities
Washington, D.C. (January 28, 2020): The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) is honored to host Missing Matters: Suicide Loss in our African American and Black Communities in an upcoming virtual platform along with Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman and suicide prevention subject matter experts from across the country. The event will be hosted February 6, 2021 from 2:00 – 5:30 p.m., EST and will feature breakouts that highlight suicide loss from a number of different experiences in Black Communities including loss of a child, parent, sibling, client, partner, and general survivorship.
“It is critical that we open spaces uniquely suited to Black mental health, and that includes Black grief,” said Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman. “Our community requires professionals with cultural competence, safe spaces to cover the kinds of challenges we experience, and the comfort of not being the only face of color in the room. Every step we can take to create more of these spaces, whether its initiatives like this one or resources at the federal level, gets us closer to meeting an urgent need and I am grateful to work together with the American Association of Suicidology on this issue.”
AAS has worked closely with our expert members to develop this unique event, holding a space for African American and Black loss survivors to learn, share and heal with each other. National loss initiatives tend to have few participants from these communities. Existing resources are generally led by the dominant white culture and address its issues, leaving other cultures without a voice. We feel strongly that we need a space for African Americans and other Black communities to process their losses to suicide in that safe space made by and for them. This conference will be the first in a series and we plan to use this template to offer space for other ethnicities and cultures to form their own loss and healing events later on.
“I cannot thank the Association enough for taking the initiative to reach out solely to Black communities,” says Dr. Donna Holland Barnes, Co-founder of the National Organization for People of Color Against Suicide (NOPCAS). “As mentioned, this will be the first in a series of creating spaces for other communities of color where our voices will be heard by the majority. We, people of color, each have our own unique perspective on managing suicide in our communities and putting us in an indiscriminate mass without regards to particulars, is an injustice. This is the first initiative by a majority organization using their resources to reach out and to give us our own space!”
In 2019 (the latest year for which we have finalized data) there were 47,511 suicide deaths in the US, an age adjusted rate of 13.9 per 100,000 population. In the same year there were nearly 1.2 million suicide attempts. And while a visual analysis of 2018 and 2019 suicide mortality data show decreases in the number and rate of suicide for almost all demographic groups, the rate for black Black men has shown a 1.7% increase. Suicide remains the second leading cause of death for Black youth.
“As an African American loss survivor, I can attest to the feelings of loss and isolation that the stigma of suicide forces us to endure,” said WyKisha McKinney, Zero Suicide Program Manager at The Harris Center for Mental health and IDD. “It is beyond time to open doors and remove barriers to care for our community. By hosting this conference, AAS is breaking down walls and creating access to hope for all people impacted by suicide.”
“I am so very proud that AAS is hosting this vitally important conference for loss survivors in the black community to share with one another,” said Vanessa McGann, PhD, AAS Loss Survivor Chair. “Demand has been incredibly high, with registration capping out in under a week, showing us how needed this space is and allowing us to talk with allies and experts about how to support efforts at prevention and postvention in communities of color.”
Unfortunately, we don’t know how the recent pandemic and instances of civil unrest will affect suicide deaths in the US and abroad, but it is our responsibility to take action now. By hosting this conference, AAS holds suicidologists and the field at large to a higher standard in how we care for our fellow humans.
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. For additional information, please visit SuicideReportingToolkit.com.
About AAS: The American Association of Suicidology is the world’s largest membership-based suicide prevention organization. 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 professionals, survivors of suicide loss, attempt survivors, and a variety of laypersons who have in interest in suicide prevention. You can learn more about AAS at www.suicidology.org.
