Suicide Prevention Resources
Hope, help and support are here.
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. All month long, the American Hospital Association is shining a national spotlight on suicide as a national public health issue and how hospitals and health systems are finding solutions to ensure that people at risk feel supported and connected.
Here you’ll find resources to prevent suicide by helping people become better informed, support those who are at risk and create hope through action.
The Facts
Over 48,000 Americans died by suicide in 2024
1 Death
every 11 minutes
12.8 Million
adults thought about suicide
Over 4.6 Million
made a suicide plan
2.2 Million
attempted suicide
Healthcare professionals confront daily challenges impacting their well-being, which was intensified by the pandemic. Prioritizing mental health is crucial, as seen in AHA's guide "Suicide Prevention: Evidence-Informed Interventions for the Health Care Workforce." Access the guide for immediate steps to safeguard your healthcare teams' wellness amidst these challenges.
Health Care Workforce Interventions Guide
If you are in crisis or feel like you are a safety threat to yourself or others, please call 988 or 911 or go to the nearest emergency department immediately. |
Take Action
- National Physician Suicide Prevention Awareness Day: September 17 | Vital Signs NPSA Day Toolkit
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention
- SPRC’s Suicide Prevention Month Ideas for Action
Suicide Prevention Organizations and Tools
Direct Support Resources
Resources for Healthcare Leaders and Educators
Featured Resources
Infographic
Improving Maternal Mental Health Outcomes: How Hospitals Can Support Maternal Mental Health
Suicide accounts for one in five postpartum deaths; one in five women experience a perinatal mental health condition; and over half of pregnant women with depression do not receive treatment, according to a new AHA infographic highlighting the grim statistics surrounding maternal mental health, five ways to improve maternal mental health outcomes and recommended resources for providers.
Addressing Challenges and Priorities Through the Trustee Role
Boardroom Brief: How Boards Can Support Workforce Behavioral Health
This document, developed by AHA Trustee Services and AHA’s Behavioral Health teams, intends to educate and raise awareness for trustees about suicide prevention and the role that hospital and health system boards can play in this very important public health issue. It also provides useful resources for boards to initiate a conversation about reducing the risks of and preventing suicides in the health care workforce.
Chair File
Shining a Spotlight on Suicide as a Public Health Issue
AHA Chair Wright L. Lassiter III notes that throughout September, the AHA is shining a spotlight on suicide as a public health issue and working to ensure that people have access to the resources they need to discuss suicide prevention and seek treatment when needed.
Addressing Challenges and Priorities through the Trustee Role
Why Boards Should Focus on Suicide Prevention
Sue Ellen Wagner spoke with Cathy Frank, M.D., chair of Henry Ford Health’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services, to learn about how the health system is addressing suicide prevention, a vital public health issue that governing boards should know more about.
Podcast
The Role of Firearm Safety in Preventing Suicide
According to the CDC, firearms are used in approximately 50% of all suicides. In this podcast, Dr. Emmy Betz, a professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and director of the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative joins Laura Castellanos, associate director, Hospitals Against Violence initiative at the American Hospital Association. Together they explore the connections between firearms and suicide, and what hospitals and healthcare systems need to know about firearm suicide prevention.
More Suicide Prevention Resources
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AHA Resources
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AHA Resources
Access Curated and Vetted Resources with AHA’s New Stress Meter™
AHA Physician Alliance: Preventing Physician Suicide
Health systems work to improve suicide care
Health Facilities Magazine: Ligature-risk requirements: Separating Fact from Fiction
Other Resources
A Guide for Medical Providers in the Emergency Department Taking Care of Suicide Attempt Survivors
Educational initiative can heighten nurse awareness of suicide risk
Suicide Prevention Resource Center: Suicide Prevention Month Ideas for Action
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Partner Toolkit
Education Development Center - Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC)
Rural Health Information Hub: Rural Suicide Prevention Toolkit
VA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Guidebook
CDC Policy Brief: Preventing Suicide In Rural America
SAMHSA's Mobile App for Providers: Suicide Safe
National Institute of Mental Health's Suicide Prevention Resources
Suicide Prevention Resource Center's (SPRC) Resources for Behavioral Health Care Providers
Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention
Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Initiatives and Campaigns for Service Providers
Department of Veterans Affairs' Suicide Prevention Resources
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AHA Resources
Role of Hospitals: Marshfield Clinic Health System
Other Resources
Avera enlists health care providers in Zero Suicide initiative