Suicide Prevention Awareness

Scott Knight Division Director

The Jason Foundation September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. For many, the subject of suicide is off limits. They believe that the mere mention of suicide around friends and family can cause suicidal thoughts in those friends and family. Nothing could be further from the truth. Approximately ­47,500 Americans died by their own hand in 2019, making suicide the 10th leading cause of death in this nation. Suicide rates in the US have climbed 33% in the last decade. One of the ways we can reduce that number is by talking about suicide and suicidal ideation. Doing so can spur meaningful conversations about mental health and potentially save lives.