Tuesday marks World Suicide Prevention Day as NC faces record-breaking suicide rate

Tuesday is World Suicide Prevention Day, which honors those who have lost their lives to suicide and the people working to end this public health crisis.

President Joe Biden has declared Sept. 10 World Suicide Prevention Day, he said in a proclamation Tuesday morning.

“Too many Americans have lost their lives to suicide,” Biden said. “I call upon all Americans, communities, organizations and levels of government to join me in creating hope through action and committing to preventing suicide across America.

“During World Suicide Prevention Day, we recommit to improving suicide prevention programs and putting affordable, accessible mental health care within reach of communities across our nation – for all the lives we have lost and all those we can still save.”

In 2023, nearly 50,000 Americans died by suicide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2022, more than 10 million people seriously considered suicide.

In 2022, suicide was the second leading cause of death for young people aged 10 to 14 and 25 to 34, according to the CDC. The suicide rate for veterans was 50% higher than for anyone else.

“I have always said that we have a sacred obligation to care for our nation’s veterans and their families – and that means making sure they have access to the care they need to thrive,” the president said.

In 2021, less than half of all adults with mental illness received the care they needed, and nearly 70% of children who seek mental health care cannot find it.

“Though there is no single cause or solution for suicide, we know that access to treatment and support can save lives,” Biden wrote. “However, getting care in a crisis can be hard to access or afford.

“A key part of my Unity Agenda is to connect more Americans to affordable, quality mental health care and strengthen our mental health care system – which will help address many of the risk factors associated with suicide.”

Suicide is also a leading cause of maternal death, which is why the Biden administration established the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline for new and expectant mothers.

Call 1-833-852-6262 for help navigating mental health issues like postpartum depression and anxiety before, during or after pregnancy.

If you’re having suicidal thoughts or a mental health crisis, call or text 988 or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. Veterans can press “1” after dialing 988 to connect directly to the Veterans Crisis Lifeline. For texts, veterans should continue to text the Veterans Crisis Lifeline short code: 838255.

The Hope4NC Helpline (1-855-587-3463) is here to connect North Carolinians with emotional support and mental health resources to help build coping skills and resilience during times of crisis. The helpline is available free of charge to everyone in North Carolina’s 100 counties.

HopeLine provides the North Carolina community a free and confidential 24/7 crisis and suicide prevention helpline (919-231-4525 or 877-235-4525) and texting services (877-235-4525).

For non-crisis support or to find help for mental health and substance use, visit FindSupport.gov or call 1-800-662-4357.

NC faces record-breaking suicide rate

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for North Carolinians between the ages of 10 and 18, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS).

According to the latest state data, 1,412 people took their own lives in North Carolina in 2021. That’s 452 more deaths than the number of homicides the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations recorded for the same year.

White males made up 78% of recorded suicides. Of them, those ages 10 to 18 and 85+ are at the highest risk.

The concerning trend isn’t unique to North Carolina. Recent data from the CDC shows suicide rates are increasing nationwide.

According to the center’s most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 22% of kids between grades 9-12 reported thoughts of taking their own lives.

“The numbers we have right now in terms of mental health in kids, suicide rates across the board in elderly, rural white people, all the way through the Black youth are the worst they’ve ever been,” shared Dr. Patrick Sullivan, a psychiatrist with a focus on depression.

Two years ago, Sullivan started the UNC Suicide Prevention Initiative, which is part of the Carolina Across 100 initiative. The effort is aimed at making mental health resources more widely available.

He said the program was born in the wake of a donation from a UNC graduate and his wife. The couple lost both of their sons to suicide.

“I was of course very familiar with suicide and the risk of suicide and all of the data on it, but data is one thing, talking to humans with lived experience is another,” Sullivan shared.

The goal of Carolina Across 100 is to better the wellbeing of North Carolinians by sharing support and resources across every county.

“It is almost always the case that if we work together as a team, we make faster, better progress,” said Sullivan. “Other projects have looked at things like the generation of youth who are no longer in school or in the workforce 18-24. How can they be reached? How can they be helped and what to do they need?”

NCDHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley told WRAL News that North Carolinians have reached out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 100,000 times in 2023.

He also noted the state’s new Peer Warmline received an additional 5,000 calls in April alone.

“Tragically, when people lose their life to suicide it’s often shrouded in stigma and fear and families don’t want to talk about it. We have got to break through that,” Kinsley said. “We have to help support families and try to get ahead of these crises before they happen.”

If you need help, please reach out. Click here for a list of county-by-county resources.

How you can help

The NCDHHS said, to prevent suicide, we can all promote safe storage and lethal means reduction in our homes and communities. The NCDHHS recommends taking advantage of the following resources and programs:

NC Secure All Firearms Effectively (NC SAFE)

Help us raise awareness about the urgent need to secure firearms in North Carolina effectively. Firearms are the most common method of suicide for youth and adults. Additionally, firearms are the leading cause of injury-related death for children and youth in the state, and firearm thefts are on the rise. If you own a firearm, make sure it’s safely secured, including in your car. Safe storage is an essential part of responsible firearm ownership and firearm safety starts with you.

Project ChildSafe

Project ChildSafe is a comprehensive firearm safety and education program—created by gun owners, for gun owners. Project ChildSafe offers a range of free and downloadable firearm safety educational materials such as toolkits, videos, and infographics. To locate free firearm safety kits, which include a cable-styled gun lock, visit Project ChildSafe – Get a Safety Kit.

Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM) Training

The CALM training course is designed to teach participants how to help those at risk for suicide implement safe storage of firearms and dangerous medications while respecting their rights and autonomy. Two versions of CALM are available:

• CALM Training, a half-day course, is available for mental health clinicians, primary care providers, substance use counselors, hotline responders, crisis intervention services and others who regularly work with people at risk for suicide.
• CALM Conversations is a 90-minute training intended for anyone–not just clinicians–who may need to have a conversation with a friend, loved one, or coworker about their access to lethal means.

Both courses are offered for free through NC DHHS. To apply for this training or get more information, please contact Jane Ann Miller, jane@miller@dhhs.nc.gov.

Firearm Safety Teams (FST)

If you or your organization wants to take action to reduce firearm injury and violence in your community, explore creating a Firearm Safety Team or connecting with an existing team.

A Firearm Safety Team (FST) is an apolitical and nonpartisan group of community members, community-based organizations, and other local agencies who meet regularly to reduce firearm injury and violence. FSTs can address health issues like community violence, suicide, and unintentional injury. Partners on this team may include public health workers, parents, non-profits, law enforcement, hospitals, firearm owners, Local Health Departments, and many more. Typical FST activities can include but are not limited to providing free gun locks, presenting to groups on firearm safety, and providing Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM) Training.

NC counties with an FST include Durham, Cabarrus, Catawba, Hoke, Iredell, Mecklenburg, Pitt, Wake, Cumberland, Orange, and Martin Tyrrell Washington Health District.

To apply for this training or get more information about Firearm Safety Teams near you, please contact Megan Lueck, mlueck@email.unc.edu.

HopeLine, a crisis center in North Carolina, is currently looking for more volunteers. You can apply now at hopeline-nc.org.

For more information on how to start the conversation about suicide, go to ncdhhs.gov.