Suicide Prevention Month: Important Facts and Resources for Prevention and Recovery

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, a month dedicated to shining a light on a taboo and stigmatized behavioral health topic. Suicidal thoughts can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, or background. In an effort to support this mission and ensure that everyone has access to resources they need, GoMo Health is sharing the facts and resources that you should know.

Over the last 20 years, the increasing rates of suicide in the U.S. have been of great concern. The suicide rates have increased by 33 percent and now 14 out of every 100,000 Americans commits suicide. It is now the second leading cause of death in people aged 10 to 34, the fourth leading cause of death in people aged 35 to 54, and the tenth overall leading cause of death in America. While 80 to 90 percent of the people who receive treatment for depression are treated successfully, around half of people diagnosed never receive treatment. There needs to be additional support for those who need help, to ensure that they do not continue to suffer.

The CDC estimates that around 20 to 25 percent of Americans 18 and older suffer from depression, and a staggering 44,000+ Americans lose their lives to suicide every year. There needs to be more that is done at the point of intervention in order to reduce these shocking numbers and help treat mental illness in the U.S. Statistics show that if people in danger of suicide are provided help through therapy or medication, they will be much less likely to commit suicide as their depression is managed and treated. However, part of the reason that those who suffer from depression never seek help is because of the stigma attached to seeing a therapist. Those who suffer from mental illness need to be assured that it is a sign of strength, not weakness, to identify their need for help and seek it out.

The CDC estimates that around 20 to 25 percent of Americans 18 and older suffer from depression, and a staggering 44,000+ Americans lose their lives to suicide every year.

Those who suffer from depression and are at risk of suicide need support systems that are adaptive to the individual since everyone suffers differently. The baseline is that everyone needs support, but everyone needs it delivered in their own way. Those who need therapy or medication but are concerned by the social stigma or fears attached to those treatments would benefit from direct and personalized messaging in real-time. There are 1.4 million people who attempt suicide every year, so there are 1.4 million people who are in need of personalized support that could save their lives.

In addition to the staggering amount of deaths that are attributed to suicide every year, there is a yearly cost of $69 billion in medical costs and lost work hours to suicide attempts. Adding an additional resource in the fight to lower the statistics associated with suicides in the U.S. is an immediate need. Those who suffer from depression need to feel comfortable and encouraged to start and stick with therapy and medication.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) recommends the following resources to anyone struggling with suicide:

Informational Resources

• Know the Warning Signs and Risk of Suicide
• Preventing Suicide as a Family Member or Caregiver
• Being Prepared for a Crisis
• Need more information, referrals or support? Contact the NAMI HelpLine.

Crisis Resources

• If you or someone you know is in an emergency, call 911 immediately.
• If you are in crisis or are experiencing difficult or suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
• If you’re uncomfortable talking on the phone, you can also text NAMI to 741-741 to be connected to a free, trained crisis counselor on the Crisis Text Line.

The GoMo Health Personal Concierge™ solution was developed to help with the issues related to mental and behavioral health. Personal Concierge acts as a virtual health provider, guiding patients and members through their unique healthcare journey.

GoMo Health has partnered with the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide to create a learning management system designed to educate those in direct contact with teens on how to properly identify the risks and signs of suicidal ideation, intercede with timely intervention and reduce risk of self harm. Stay tuned in the coming months for more details on this meaningful program.

Through Personal Concierge, personalized Care Messages™ are sent directly to patients in response to how they are feeling at any given moment. Personal Concierge can send reminders to take medication or to attend an appointment with a therapist to adhere to their care plan. Additionally, the program can respond in real-time to how the user is feeling; all they need to do is text in. Concierge Care can send a variety of customized Care Messages to support any individual that is suffering from a mental or behavioral health condition. More resources are needed in order to help reduce the national suicide rates, and GoMo Health is dedicated to helping combat this nation-wide problem.