Reducing The Suicide Rate Of Healthy People 2020 : A Government Site That Identifies Health Concerns Based On Statistics

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people between ages 15 – 34. Now, the question is where’s the effort to stop it? If 90% of people who commit suicide have a mental illness,

Healthy People 2020 set a goal of reducing the number of completed suicides among the adult population by ten percent. This is a reoccurring theme from Healthy People 2010, where the goal was to reduce the number of suicides from 10.5 to 4.8 per 100,000. Unfortunately, from 2003 to 2013, rate of death from suicide has steadily increased to the current rate of 13.0 per 100,000 deaths (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). The goal of Healthy People 2020 is to improve the health of our Nation over the next ten years, from a baseline set of data (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014). Though suicide is not an illness, it typically is an untreated or undermanaged mental illness that results in a person resorting to

The next educational effort would be the students at all schools with the focus on “health risks and nutrition and knowing what suicide looks like” in your friends or family. During education, the health maintenance and grief resource center would be initiated with location information given to all clinics, dentists, mental health counselors, schools, local hospitals, and churches. This approach to community assessment allows the PHN the understanding of historical trauma, sociocultural, and economic contexts and meaning to create partnerships with individuals, families, groups and communities promoting improved overall health and mental health (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2016). The focus of this program would center around Lake County Montana with adolescent and younger children at the forefront. Outreach, follow-up, and counseling is an impediment to improvement and stabilization for the mental health individual, which could be a risk factor for suicide and other health-related concerns. To assist with this goal, a grant will be required to cover financial needs. For example, The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Research Grants awards monies from 30,000 to 1.5 million for suicide prevention, in 2015 they awarded 17 grantees for studies and programs to prevent suicide (afsp.org). These dollars will assist

Depression and suicide are two significant global public health concerns. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is estimated that there are 350 million people that suffer from depression (WHO, 2015a). Also, over 800,000 deaths from suicides occur each year (WHO, 2015b). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, year), approximately 18.8 million (9.5 percent) American adults, have a depressive disorder each year (CDC, 2013b). The CDC (2015) also reported that in 2014, there were 42,773 suicides representing a rate of 12.93 per 100,000 persons. Depression and suicide are common among African Americans. According to The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Data Brief report, depression rates are highest

One of the goals of Healthy People 2020 is to reduce the suicide rate in the U.S. which is currently one of the top 10 causes of death. It is clearly in issue and vital to address this issue because these rates have had a steady incline from 1999-2014. This had led to an age-related suicide rate of 24% because it has gone from 10.5 to 13.0 deaths per 100,000. With such a modernized country, I would think that we would have done something about this earlier on by having more programs and being more proactive about this gruesome problem.

The goal of this organization is to, first and for most, reduce the number of suicides across the world. The campaign is designed to inform readers of the facts of suicide and the five signs to notice if someone is suffering. The goal of the campaign is to reduce the stigma on suicide by informing the world of the truth about suicide and mental illness and make it easier to talk about, instead of a feared topic that should be avoided. The organization does take donations, but more importantly offers a pledge for people to take to know the five signs that someone is suffering and inform those who pledge as to how to help when a loved one needs it. People can pledge as individuals or as groups, such as the entire state of New Hampshire. By informing people of the issue, signs and solutions, the numbers of those who receive the help that they need and deserve will grow and the numbers of suicides will be reduced. The pledge is easy to take and can be done in a short amount of time. Millions have already pledged to help the solution and millions more will as time goes on and the campaign reaches all areas of the United States, and the world. (Campaign to Change Direction). (Susman, David Ph.D. (2015, April 19)).

These four goals are ultimately what could be the best options to help those who are affected by suicidal thoughts from mental illnesses (“Comprehensive Mental Health”). Especially due to increased annual participation in Mental Health Awareness Month situated in the month of May, with this action plan in place, people are becoming more aware of mental illness and the danger of them causing suicidal tendencies among people. Overall, WHO’s action plan for increased awareness of mental health issues has been successful so far, however results could be better if the organization started locally, gaining support in small towns, then slowly growing to focus on a larger scale. With this idea in place, people will eventually realize the urgency of mental health and

The topic of suicide has become increasingly recognized as a significant social problem worthy of more attention. The mass media remains a powerful tool to address the problem and the stigma surrounding suicidal ideation. The stigma surrounding suicide is a multifaceted construct with affective, cognitive and behavioral components that influences attitudes and behavior patterns at both the individual and population levels (Niederkrontenthaler et al. 2014). Measures such as federal antidiscrimination legislation have been demonstrated to be a significant foundation against stigmatization of suicide. However, several factors of the stigma process are beyond the scope of legislation and is critical to be linked with preventive programs that can positively influence people’s perceptions of suicide or to increase help seeking across diverse populations (Niederkrontenthaler et al. 2014).

Therefore, they are left to care for themselves. In a study conducted by the CDC, nearly 35,000 have committed suicide in the United States in 2007. (Number of Suicides 2007, NIMH) In 2013 the number increased to around 41,000 people, a nearly 6,000 increase. Every 13 seconds someone commits suicide. (Suicide Facts, SAVE) “Only through a dialog and a clear understanding of the disease can we help those who deal every day with depression. Compassion, not complacency, is the key in helping sufferers fight to remain in control.” ( Depression Kills, Psych Central) Most people abandon those with mental illness, those who feel the most alone, and as of 2015 the rise in suicides has not stopped. Society needs to focus on individual needs, because as this rise in mental illness continues, the more diverse and complicated it

The nationwide health promotion and disease prevention plan, Healthy People 2020, recognizes that mental health promotion and mental health reduction is one of the most significant health objectives. Statistics have indicated that mental health disorders are the leading cause of disability in United States and Canada, while suicide is the 11th leading cause of death that has killed approximately 30,000 American each year (“Mental Health and Mental Disorders”, n.d.). The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has recommended a series of

This paper will explore different articles and research conducted by the World Health Organization regarding suicide, risk factors, and prevention techniques on a global scale. According to the article “Preventing Suicide: A Global Imperative”, over 800,000 people die by suicide every year and there are many suicide attempts made for each known death (WHO, 2014, p. 2). Many factors contribute to this incredible number, such as the stigma surrounding suicide and mental illness, access to materials used for suicide, and resources available for mental health care and data collection. Through this paper we will further explore different strategies in order to build on our prevention techniques globally and what we can do to help as health care professionals.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approximately every 13.7 seconds someone in the United States completes suicide. (Erin M. Sullivan & Thomas R. Simon, 2013) In 2007 this preventable public health problem was the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for over 34,000 deaths. (National Institute of Mental Health, 2013) (Elizabeth M. Varcarolis, 2010) This astonishing number of deaths is accumulative of various acts of suicide.

Mental health is a major concern in the United States. In 2013, nearly 37,000 deaths were reported as a result of suicide (Das, 2015). In the same year, just about 630,000 people went to the emergency room due to self-inflicted injury (Das, 2015). Between 2013 and 2014, 5.4% of the non- institutionalized United States' population experienced depression within any 14-day period. One-tenth of the United States population in 2014 reported two or more weeks of psychologically unhealthy days within a 30-day period; the mean American adult reported 3.4 unhealthy days (Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2015c). Although recent studies have shown 15% of the US population will become clinically depressed at some point in their life.

As observed by the Journal of American College Health and Rivero, E.M. et al (2014), “90% of all individuals who die by suicide … have a diagnosable psychiatric condition … [and] although approximately 1,100 college students die by suicide each year, fewer than 20% of students … were receiving mental health treatment.” The journal goes on to state that those who were receiving professional treatment were less likely to attempt suicide, along with the students who had a strong support group of family and friends. By implementing a program designed to intervene and provide aid before a suicide attempt can be made, the hopes of a positive outcome and may increase the amount of students who succeed and graduate from college.

According to the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS), suicide rates are much higher in less urban areas than more urban areas, although mental illnesses are more prevalent in more urban areas; this is believed to be due to the lack of mental health awareness and education programs that are given to the public in larger and more-urban metro areas (Kegler, Stone, and Holand, 2017). Suicide rates in the Unites States are increasing every single year, but that could be reduced over time with the right tactics. If a larger audience in less urban areas could be reached and let known that suicide is not the only option, we could prevent many deaths and improve the lives of many families. To justify this concern, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report concludes that, “ There is a growing need for comprehensive suicide prevention employing a broad public health approach. This might include strategies applicable for all communities (e.g., strengthening economic support during times of financial hardship and teaching coping and problem-solving skills) along with strategies that address subsets of the population at increased risk, such as rural communities (e.g., programs that address provider short- ages and promote social connectedness).” (Kegler, Stone, and Holand, 2017, pg 272). Again, just as there is not one single reason for suicide, there will not be one single answer, because hard work and dedication will be needed from