You Matter

September is Suicide Prevention Month—a time to disprove stigmas about mental health, educate yourself on mental wellness, and support and remember people in your life who have struggled with mental health. 

September is all about understanding your own mental health and having the resources to know where you can get support and help if you need it. It is also important to educate yourself on mental health so you can be there for your loved ones if they are struggling. 

This post is dedicated to teaching you more about Suicide Prevention Month, pointing you to helpful resources, and sharing what CONQUERing is doing to contribute!

What Is Suicide Prevention Month? 

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Suicide Prevention Month is a time to shift public perception, spread hope, and share vital information to people affected by suicide. The goal is to ensure that individuals have access to the resources they need to discuss suicide prevention with the people they love to seek help themselves. 

September was first declared as the month for suicide prevention in 2008—World Suicide Prevention Day falls on September 10. World Suicide Prevention Day was established by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2003. The day is focused on advocacy and education, pushing the message out that suicide can be prevented. 

Suicide prevention is a public health issue. According to the WHO, there are currently more than 700,000 suicides per year worldwide. This is why Suicide Prevention Month and World Suicide Prevention Day are so important—having the resources and understanding the complexities of mental health can make a huge difference. 

Who is Affected Most by Suicide?

NAMI conducted research to understand who is affected most by suicide. The education piece of Suicide Prevention Month includes understanding that certain demographics are affected more by suicide than others:

• Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 10-14, the third leading cause of death among people aged 15-24, and the twelfth leading cuase of death overall in the US. 
• Lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth are 4 times more likely to attempt suicide than straight youth.
• Transgender adults are nearly 9 times more likely to attempt suicide at some point in their life compared to the general population. 

The above statistics make it abundantly clear that suicide prevention and mental health resources need to be available to the youth, specifically LGBTQIA+ youth, and the transgender population. We also need to invest more of our community resources into bettering the lives of these populations. 

Where Can You Find Resources?

There are many organizations—locally, nationally, and globally—that offer resources for prevention and advocacy. What we've listed barely scratches the surface for what's available. There are a multitude of wonderful groups that are dedicated to helping people who are affected by or consider suicide. 

We've grouped these into crisis resources and advocacy resources. We would like to add a disclaimer that while these resources are helpful, speaking to trained professionals is ultimately the best option when dealing with mental health. 

Crisis Resources

988 LIFELINE

• You can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline from any state in the US. The lifeline offers free, confidential support for individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts, mental health crises, or emotional distress. This lifeline is available 24/7 and is run by trained crisis counselors. 

NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS (NAMI)

• Warning Signs and Risk of Suicide: This page from NAMI provides a list of warning signs of suicide and risk factors that may put a person at higher risk of suicide.
• Being Prepared for a Crisis: It's important that you know what to do if a crisis situation occurs. This page helps you build a crisis plan and understand your options for helping a loved one that is experiencing a mental health crisis. 
• Navigating a Mental Health Crisis: This guide walks through what you can do when a crisis actually occurs. Having this knowledge can make a world of difference, especially if you don't have a crisis plan in place. 
• What You Need to Know About Youth Suicide: Since we know that youth are most likely to commit or attempt suicide, it's important to have an understanding of why this is and what you can do if a child in your life is in crisis. 

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION (IASP)

• The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention: This is an international periodical that goes in depth into intervention and prevention. if you are someone that wants extensive information about what to do in a crisis and what role you can play in suicide prevention, this would be a great place to start. 
• Find a Helpline: The IASP has a fantastic database of all the helplines available globally. You just insert your location and what you are struggling with and they will recommend helplines that might be able to assist you. There are also dedicate helplines for different demographics. 

Advocacy and Educational Resources

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)

• Fact Sheets: The WHO has fact sheets about suicide, mental disorders, and mental health. These fact sheets offer statistics, definitions, and general information that will better your understanding of those topics. 
• Preventing suicide: a community engagement toolkit: This toolkit offers resources and information on educating your community about suicide prevention. You can use what's included in this toolkit and modify it to best fit your community. 

NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS (NAMI)

• Be a mental health advocate: NAMI is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization. This page provides information on how you can join the cause and begin advocating for mental health and suicide prevention. 
• Awareness Events: Suicide prevention needs to be a focus year-round. If you are looking for ways to stay involved and raise awareness beyond September, NAMI lists all of the mental health awareness events they participate in for the calendar year. You can see if there are any events near you that you can attend. You could also organize an event in your community to begin educating your community on suicide prevention. 

NATIONAL CHILD TRAUMATIC STRESS NETWORK (NCTSN)

• All NCTSN Resources: You can find all of NCTSN's resources at this page. It is easy to search by keyword or filter based on what you're looking for information on. 
• Training: The NCTSN also offers online and in-person training for education and intervention.

Knowing where you can turn when you, or someone you love, is going through a crisis is vital. The above only begins to cover what's available for suicide prevention. This September, take the time to read through the above, and locate additional resources, to educate yourself about mental health. 

CONQUERing's Contribution

Suicide prevention and mental health awareness are two topics that are incredibly important to us. We strive to empower our customers—to live their lives authentically and love exactly who they are. 

For Suicide Prevention Month, we released two designs to spread hope and remind everyone that every life matters. We hope that you, and those you love, are reminded that your presence makes the world a better place. 

The first design is a Semicolon CrossBar Element. The semicolon is often associated with mental health awareness and suicide prevention—it symbolizes the choice to continue your story, even when it feels like the end. You can wear this to show everyone how you persevered and to remember your immense strength. 

The second design is "Better with you in it" Globe Element. On one side it has a globe and the other has the phrase "Better with you in it". Together it means, "The World is better with you in it"—it embodies the impact you have on those around you. 

For the entire month of September, we will be donating $1 to 1N5 for each Semicolon CrossBar and "Better with you in it" Globe sold. 1N5 is a non-profit in the Greater Cincinnati area with a mission to prevent suicide by erasing the stigma or mental illness and promoting optimal mental wellness. This organization also offers data-driven, evidence-based programs to schools, workplaces, and communities. 

Learn more about CONQUERing's contribution during Suicide Prevention Month here. 

Join the Fight

We hope that you learned more about suicide prevention and mental health awareness in this blog post. You now have the resources to join the fight to stop the stigma surrounding mental health. 

You are loved, you matter, and you belong in this world. We see your strength and are inspired by everything you've over come. 

If you or anyone you know is experiencing any suicide thoughts or behaviors, you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline from any state in the U.S. This service is available nationwide, providing free, confidential support for individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts, mental health crises, or emotional distress. The 988 Lifeline is available 24/7 and connects callers to trained crisis counselors who can offer support, resources, and help in navigating difficult situations.