Help Prevent Suicide
Summary
Suicide can touch anyone, anywhere, and at any time. But it is not inevitable. There is hope.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
If you are feeling alone and having thoughts of suicide—whether or not you are in crisis—or know someone who is, don’t remain silent. Talk to someone you can trust through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988 or chat the lifeline.
Intro
Suicide takes precious lives. It can affect anyone, anywhere at any time, devastating families and even entire communities. But it is not inevitable. Help prevent suicide and offer support to those in crisis by sharing and airing these resources.
Find more information about suicide and recognizing suicidal behavior.
At-Risk Populations
Adults Over the Age of 45
Middle-aged people, especially men, have the highest rate of suicide compared to other groups. Eighty percent of all deaths by suicide in the U.S. are among men and women age 45-54. Men ages 85 and older have the highest rate of any group in the country. Many factors contribute to this risk, including isolation, a history of violence, and access to lethal means.
American Indians
Young American Indian men—especially in the Northern Plains—are at high risk for suicide compared to other groups. While many of the risk factors are the same as those affecting other groups, young American Indian men face additional challenges such as historical trauma, cultural distress, poverty, geographic isolation, and suicide in the community that can cause increased stress.
Alaska Natives
Young men living in Alaska are greatly affected by suicide, wrestling with stigma and silence. In 2017, Alaska had the second highest rate of suicide in the nation. But new prevention efforts and knowledge are making headway in counteracting challenges such as mental health and substance abuse problems.
Resources for Alaska Natives:
To Live to See the Great Day That Dawns – Preventing Suicide by American Indian and Alaska Native Youth and Young Adults
Visit the Careline website—Alaska’s suicide prevention and crisis line.