U.S. Department of Defense Announces New Actions to Prevent Suicide in the Military
On September 28, 2023, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin released a memo directing urgent actions to address suicide in the military community, building upon two years of significant work towards suicide prevention across the Department of Defense (DoD).
Following the Secretary’s establishment of the Suicide Prevention and Response Independent Review Committee (SPRIRC) in 2022, the SPRIRC conducted internal reviews of 11 military installations consisting of 457 focus groups and interviews with 2,106 Service members and 670 civilian staff. Guided by this review and existing research, the SPRIRC made 127 near- and long-term recommendations to address this critical problem within the ranks.
Suicide is a global public health concern, impacting individuals, families, and communities. Recognizing and harnessing protective factors for suicide is a crucial strategy for mitigating suicide risk and fostering overall mental well-being.
What Are Protective Factors for Suicide?
Protective factors for suicide are personal or environmental characteristics that reduce the likelihood of suicide. These factors operate as a buffer against risk factors and can be enhanced through targeted interventions, which play a critical role in comprehensive suicide prevention strategies.
Key Protective Factors for Suicide
Positive Social Connections
Positive social connections include robust familial bonds, dependable friendships, and supportive relationships with mentors or community members. Individuals who cultivate such positive social bonds are less susceptible to experiencing isolation, a substantial risk factor for suicide. These positive social connections allow for open dialogue regarding emotional well-being, thus creating relational dynamics where seeking assistance for mental distress is normalized. Moreover, these social bonds impart a sense of belonging and community, serving as a protective shield against life’s inevitable stressors and adversities.
Ultimately , the deliberate cultivation of these relationships emerges as a powerful strategy for suicide prevention, as it bolsters mental resilience and promotes the inclination to seek help when needed. Educational institutions, workplaces, and community centers can all play a pivotal role in this endeavor by fostering opportunities for meaningful interactions and by championing programs that nurture and fortify these life-affirming social connections.
Access to Mental Health Care
In an environment where mental healthcare is readily available, individuals are more likely to seek help when grappling with suicidal ideation or other mental health concerns. This accessibility extends beyond therapeutic interventions to encompass preventative measures, such as the early detection of mental health issues, educational initiatives related to mental health, and targeted support for individuals at risk.
Reducing the stigma around mental health treatment is also imperative as this often constitutes a formidable obstacle to help-seeking behavior. Healthcare professionals, educators, and policymakers can significantly contribute to suicide prevention by enhancing the accessibility of mental health services, advocating for their significance, and fostering a societal ethos that prioritizes and supports mental well-being.
Effective Coping and Problem-Solving Skills
Effective coping and problem-solving abilities empower individuals to adeptly manage stress, surmount adversities, and navigate challenging situations in a constructive manner. Coping skills encompass a spectrum of strategies, spanning stress management techniques, physical activity, and mindfulness practice, all of which assist individuals in effectively managing emotional distress and the demands of daily life. Alternatively, problem-solving skills equip individuals with the capacity to identify solutions to life’s challenges, thus reducing feelings of hopelessness, which are frequently associated with thoughts of suicide.
Collectively, these skills enhance resilience, a powerful determinant in averting mental health emergencies. Schools, workplaces, and mental health programs can provide opportunities to cultivate these coping and problem-solving skills by providing workshops, resources, and training opportunities aimed at helping individuals enhance their capacity to adeptly navigate stress and address challenges in a constructive manner..
Safe and Supportive School, Work, and Community Environments
Secure and nurturing settings promote mental well-being and resilience by fostering feelings of belonging, acceptance, and safety. By establishing an atmosphere that encourages open discourse about mental health, actively discourages stigmatizing beliefs, and offers resources for those confronting emotional distress, community organizations, schools, and workplaces evolve into nurturing, supportive environments for individuals.
Organizations can cultivate secure and nurturing settings through initiatives such as:
Instituting and upholding anti-bullying and anti-harassment policies
Championing programs and initiatives that foster inclusivity, and diversity
Establishing an open, non-judgmental atmosphere that actively encourages conversations surrounding mental health
Providing accessible mental health resources and support, including access to counselors and other mental health professionals
Organizing mental health awareness programs, workshops, and seminars devoted to mental health and suicide prevention
Promoting activities and events that foster a sense of community and belonging
Implementing Protective Factors: A Shared Responsibility
Implementing protective factors is a collective responsibility and involves individuals, families, and communities.Suicide prevention requires an interdisciplinary approach, involving education, healthcare, and policy-making sectors, among many others. Preventing suicide is a collective effort and responsibility that includes:
Encouraging Healthy Social Connections: Positive social connections can be cultivated through open communication, fostering empathy, and relationship-building activities. Schools, workplaces, and community centers can facilitate such connections through dedicated programs.
Prioritizing Access to Mental Health Services: Healthcare professionals and policymakers can improve mental health service accessibility by providing early intervention, destigmatizing treatment, and ensuring affordability. Individuals can contribute to this effort by sharing mental health resources in your community and on social media.
Building Resilience Through Skill Development: Building resilience includes providing individuals with coping skills to navigate life’s complexities. Workplaces, schools, and mental health organizations can provide workshops and resources for stress management, effective problem-solving, and conflict resolution.
Promoting Safe and Supportive Environments: Establishing safe and supportive environments includes proactive steps to prevent incidents of bullying, discrimination, and violence. Achieving this goal demands a collaborative commitment from schools, workplaces, community centers, and policymakers alike.
Protective factors against suicide represent a promising approach for reducing suicide rates by serving as a buffer against risk factors and cultivating resilience. It is essential to acknowledge that everyone has a role to play in suicide prevention. By advocating for positive social connections, ensuring accessible mental health care, and nurturing supportive environments, we can significantly make an impact on the lives of those in our communities.
The American Association of Suicidology is the world’s largest and nation’s oldest 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 an interest in suicide prevention. Learn more about AAS at www.suicidology.org.
Donate today to support the American Association of Suicidology’s mission to promote the understanding and prevention of suicide and support those who have been affected by it.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces More Than $200 Million To Support Youth Mental Health
Builds on unprecedented investment through President Biden’s Unity Agenda to tackle the mental health crisis and support community-based behavioral health care and treatment.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), announced $206 million in grant awards towards youth mental health. Also today, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will make more Medicaid funding available for school-based health services in Virginia, improving health care access, including mental health services. Combined, these awards will help expand access to mental health services for students in schools, bolster the behavioral health workforce, and improve access to mental health prevention and treatment for children and youth in communities across the country. And they represent a key next step in President Biden’s Unity Agenda, which is making unprecedented investments to tackle the mental health crisis and transform how mental health is understood, accessed, treated, and integrated in and out of health care settings.
The investments include the following:
SAMHSA is awarding $131.7 million in grant programs that connect youth and families to behavioral health services.
HRSA is awarding $55 million to expand access to mental health care for young people, including access to mental health care in schools.
ACF is awarding $20 million to improve the quality of mental health services provided to children involved in the child welfare system.
New Medicaid funding – PDF that helps expand access to health services, including mental health services, for eligible children in schools.
REP. SUSAN WILD INTRODUCES BIPARTISAN BILL TO IMPROVE STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH
September 26, 2023 | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Susan Wild introduced the bipartisan Enhancing Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Through Campus Planning Act alongside Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01). The bill would amend the Higher Education Act to promote positive mental health and suicide prevention on college campuses.
“As the mental health crisis and suicide epidemic on college campuses continues to grow, we must take action to bring America’s students the resources and support they deserve,” said Congresswoman Susan Wild. “I am proud to be introducing the bipartisan Enhancing Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Through Campus Planning Act, to help colleges and universities tackle this crisis and ensure no student suffers alone.”
“It is long-past time for Congress to ensure that college students have the mental health resources available to get the help they need,” said Congressman Fitzpatrick, co-chair of the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force. “The Enhancing Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Through Campus Planning Act will mandate federal agencies to better cooperate and ensure that these important resources are more readily available and allow institutions to take a comprehensive approach to mental health and suicide prevention.”
The Enhancing Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Through Campus Planning Act would require the Department of Education work alongside the Department of Health and Human Services to encourage colleges and universities to develop proactive plans for suicide prevention and positive mental health. These comprehensive plans would comply with strategies recommended by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrations (SAMHSA)’s Suicide Prevention Resource Center, specifically its nine-part Comprehensive Approach to Suicide Prevention. This bill fills the gap of what has previously been an undefined role for the Department of Education in addressing mental health and suicide prevention on college campuses.
According to the CDC, suicide is the second-leading cause of death for teens and young adults, ages 10-34. In a 2021–2022 survey of students across 133 college campuses, 44% of students reported symptoms of depression; 25.5% of adults ages 18-24 reported having seriously considered suicide in the past month, a higher percentage than any other adult age group.
“We wholeheartedly support Rep. Wild’s reintroduction of this bipartisan legislation, which can help improve the lives of many young people struggling with their mental health. It’s been more than two years since this bill was first announced–and nearly a quarter century since JED was founded—-but our mission remains the same: protect emotional health and prevent suicide for teens and young adults,” said Dr. Zainab Okolo, Senior Vice President of Policy, Advocacy, and Government Relations at The Jed Foundation. “Together, we can advance systems change, not only on Capitol Hill, but in communities across America. Let’s reshape the discourse surrounding student mental health, and mobilize communities toward meaningful action.”
“The American Association of Suicidology believes the best way to promote mental health and prevent suicide is through continuous support and resources,” said Leeann Sherman, President and CEO of the American Association of Suicidology. “We thank Rep. Wild for her leadership on the Enhancing Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Through Campus Planning Act, which will help give colleges and universities the tools they need to support the mental health of their students on campus and in the classroom.”
“Suicide remains a leading cause of death for youth ages 10-24, and college students across the country urgently need greater access to mental health resources and supports,” said Laurel Stine, J.D., M.A., Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “AFSP is proud to support the Enhancing Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Through Campus Planning Act, which will provide resources for colleges and universities to create and implement comprehensive suicide prevention plans and promote a positive campus culture around mental health, helping to lower suicide rates among this higher risk population.”
Last Congress, this bill passed the House by an overwhelming margin of 405-16.
This bill is endorsed by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Jed Foundation, the American Association of Suicidology, and the American Psychological Association.
Rep. David Trone (D-MD-06) is also an original co-sponsor of the bill.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Adds American Sign Language Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Callers
September 8, 2023 | Washington, DC – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s addition of nationwide American Sign Language (ASL) services for people who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing, as part of ongoing efforts to expand accessibility to behavioral health care for underserved communities. Since the July 2022 launch, the 988 Lifeline has received more than 5.5 million calls, texts, and chats, following a nearly $1 billion investment by the Biden-Harris Administration, and will now be available to the millions of Americans who use ASL.
“This is another important step to improve accessibility to mental health support and resources,” said AAS President and Chief Executive Officer Leeann Sherman, MPS, CAE. “Adding American Sign Language services to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline will ensure that more Americans can get the help they need while being inclusive to people living with disabilities.”
To connect directly to a trained 988 Lifeline counselor in ASL, callers who are Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, Hard of Hearing, and Late-Deafened can click the “ASL Now” button on 988lifeline.org and follow the prompts. Direct dialing to 988 from a videophone will be available in the coming weeks, and in the meantime, ASL callers can call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) from their videophone to reach ASL services.
“Individuals across America who use ASL as their primary language can now readily access the support they need during a mental health crisis,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “With the introduction of 988 ASL services, we are taking a significant stride forward in providing inclusive and accessible support for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. This is a testament to our ongoing commitment to ensure that no one is left behind when it comes to mental health support.”
More information about the ASL service is available online.
About American Association of Suicidology
The American Association of Suicidology is the world’s largest and nation’s oldest 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 an interest in suicide prevention. Learn more about AAS at www.suicidology.org.
Responsible reporting on suicide, including stories of hope and resilience, can prevent more suicides and open the door for help for those in need. Visit the Media as Partners in Suicide Prevention: Suicide Reporting Recommendations for more details. For additional information, visit SuicideReportingToolkit.com and Stanford University’s Media and Mental Health Initiative. For crisis services anywhere in the world, please visit FindAHelpline.org and in the continental United States chat, text or call 988.
MEDIA CONTACT
Chris Cosentino
ccosentino@suicidology.org American Association of Suicidology
