National Suicide Prevention Month is an annual month-long campaign in the United States to inform and engage health professionals and the general public about suicide prevention and warning signs of suicide.^[1] By drawing attention to the problem of suicide in the United States, the campaign also strives to reduce the stigma surrounding the topic, as well as encourage the pursuit of mental health assistance and support people who have attempted suicide.^[2]

• Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US.
• In 2019, 47,511 Americans died by suicide. On average, there are 130 suicides per day.
• In 2019, there were an estimated 1.38M suicide attempts.
• The rate of suicide is highest in middle-aged white men.

As part of the campaign, health organizations conduct depression screenings—including self-administrated and online tests—and refer interested individuals to a national toll-free telephone number.^[3][4]

Suicide rates for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth and adults in the U.S. are three times higher than national averages.^[11] According to some groups, this is linked to heterocentric cultures and institutionalised homophobia; in some cases, including the exploitation of LGBTQ people as a political wedge issue, such as in contemporary efforts to halt the legalization of same-sex marriages.^[13] Many tie bullying, including cyberbullying to suicides of LGBTQ youth. 

For More Information

• National Suicide Prevention Week

Useful Links

• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)

Local Resources

• OurVoice – 24 Hr Crisis Lie: 828-255-7576
• AFSP North Carolina