2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention

Suicide is a serious public health problem that causes immeasurable pain, suffering, and loss to individuals, families, and communities nationwide. Many people may be surprised to learn that suicide was one of the top 10 causes of death in the United States in 2009. And death is only the tip of the iceberg. For every person who dies by suicide, more than 30 others attempt suicide. Every suicide attempt and death affects countless other individuals. Family members, friends, coworkers, and others in the community all suffer the long-lasting consequences of suicidal behaviors. Suicide places a heavy burden on the nation in terms of the emotional suffering that families and communities experience as well as the economic costs associated with medical care and lost productivity. And yet suicidal behaviors often continue to be met with silence and shame. These attitudes can be formidable barriers to providing care and support to individuals in crisis and to those who have lost a loved one to suicide. More than a decade has passed since Surgeon General David Satcher broke the silence surrounding suicide in the United States by issuing The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent Suicide. Published in 1999, this landmark document introduced a blueprint for suicide prevention and guided the development of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (National Strategy). Released in 2001, the National Strategy set forth an ambitious national agenda for suicide prevention consisting of 11 goals and 68 objectives. The revised National Strategy is a call to action that is intended to guide suicide prevention actions in the United States over the next decade. The National Strategy includes 13 goals and 60 objectives that have been updated to reflect advances in suicide prevention knowledge, research, and practice, as well as broader changes in society and health care delivery that have created new opportunities for suicide prevention. Some of the major developments addressed in the revised National Strategy include: A better understanding of how suicide is related to mental illness, substance abuse, trauma, violence, and other related issues; New information on groups that may be at an increased risk for suicidal behaviors; Increased knowledge of the types of interventions that may be most effective for suicide prevention; and An increased recognition of the importance of implementing suicide prevention efforts in a comprehensive and coordinated way. Because suicide is closely linked with mental illness, in the past, suicide prevention was often viewed as an issue that mental health agencies and systems should address. However, the vast majority of persons who may have a mental disorder do not engage in suicidal behaviors. Moreover, mental health is only one of many factors that can influence suicide risk. For example, enhancing connectedness to others has been identified as a strategy for preventing suicidal behaviors and other problems. All of us can play a role in helping to make this protective factor more widely available. Suicide prevention is not exclusively a mental health issue. It is a health issue that must be addressed at many levels by different groups working together in a coordinated and synergistic way. Federal, state, tribal, and local governments; health care systems, insurers, and clinicians; businesses; educational institutions; community-based organizations; and family members, friends, and others-all have a role to play in suicide prevention. The revised National Strategy reflects this understanding. Suicide prevention efforts must involve a wide range of partners and draw on a diverse set of resources and tools. The National Strategy seeks to do so by integrating suicide prevention into the mission, vision, and work of a wide range of organizations and programs in a comprehensive and coordinated way.