12 Million Yearly Contemplate Suicide in America

​The importance of crisis and warm support lines cannot be overstated.

​The importance of crisis and warm support lines cannot be overstated in light of the 12 million yearly who contemplate suicide.  According to David Meyers, an NSSC member and volunteer who serves on our Policy Action Committee, the sole presence of a help line made the difference between life and death. 

Dave suffers from schizoaffective disorder. Dave had a hard time finding appropriate support. The lack of available services for his condition led to an avalanche of self-destructive thoughts and behavior. This culminated into physically devastating suicide attempts, and over a year of navigating between the county and state hospitals. David has expressed that a more pronounced presence of effective crisis response and warm help lines, compassionate housing, and counselors more understanding of the sensitive needs of people suffering from the traumatizing effects of serious brain disorders (SBD) could have prevented the catastrophic outcomes he experienced.

Prior to the COVID pandemic, the U.S. mental health care system was already failing to meet the needs of people struggling with serious brain disorders. The pandemic has highlighted the need for more substantial mental health services and supportive housing, yet both remain scarce. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 12 million people yearly contemplate suicide, but only about 500,000 calls are made throughout the year. In 2019, 47,511 Americans died by suicide. It’s the tenth leading cause of death in this country and the second leading cause of death among people aged 10-34 in the US. According to the Commonwealth Fund Issue Briefs, May 21, 2020, the U.S. has the highest suicide rate among 11 high-income countries, and the rate has increased every year since 2000.

SAMHSA, in a March 2021 supplemental letter, detailed the importance of an effective crisis response system: “A fully realized crisis response system will have the capacity to respond, deescalate, and follow-through crises so that individuals in crisis not only land safely but also transition well onto a path of recovery. Services that include three elements are ideal: someone to talk with; someone to respond and/or a place to go for rapid treatment; and stabilization.” The new 9-8-8 National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Number, going live across this country in July of 2022, has the potential to be that transformational crisis system to the millions in crisis, provided states kick in their share of funding to make services and supportive housing available to those calling for help.

In terms of someone to talk to, the need for both crisis and warm lines is crucial to ensure those who can be diverted away from crisis services will be, and those who are in crisis will have quick access to life-saving intervention. Warm lines were created to divert calls that perhaps aren't actual crises away from crisis services. However, there is a real need for these lines to also be staffed by professional counselors who can identify symptoms and behaviors exhibited by someone who is truly in crisis -  something peers on warm lines are not trained to do. Dave knows from experience, It can be hard asking for help at all, so this makes trained, sensitive counselors necessary. 

In terms of someone to respond, the National 9-8-8 number coupled with a robust system of both crisis care and long-term treatment services for those who need them, along with warm lines in every state has the potential to prevent people from carrying out the act of suicide. As for a place to go for rapid treatment; and stabilization, availability of services currently depends very much on the state of residence, where one lives within that state, and the presence of Medicaid based supports. This is why robust funding for mental health services/supportive housing in every state is so important. 

What can you do to help us ensure that the 9-8-8 number is implemented successfully? Contact your Member of Congress today to ask what they’re doing to make certain there are adequate services and supports in your state to coincide with the implementation of National 9-8-8 Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Number in July of 2022. Remind them that, in order for the hotline to be successful, it’s crucial that local crisis centers be adequately equipped to handle the tremendous volume of calls already being experienced by call centers around this country. Let them know it’s high time we replace 9-1-1 calls with a fully functioning 9-8-8 system leading to help, not jail, or death by suicide or otherwise.