“The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is prioritizing suicide prevention research and promoting digital counseling resources to help mitigate and manage mental health risks during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“’Suicide is complicated and tragic, but it is often preventable,’ said NIMH Director Joshua Gordon during a Sept. 23 Suicide Prevention Awareness Month livestream. ‘Like the response to the virus itself, we have to work on surveillance and mitigation strategies that can prevent suicide and other morbidity and mortality.'”
“While suicide is the 10th leading cause of death overall — with more than 48,000 people dying by suicide each year — data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show the national suicide rate has been steadily increasing over the past two decades. It also disproportionately affects certain subgroups, such as youth and those residing in rural areas.”
“Since the pandemic began, CDC researchers observed higher rates of reported depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.
‘We do know that kids — typically about a third of them — get their mental health services in schools,’ said Jane Pearson, special advisor to the NIMH director on suicide research…” Read the full article here.
Source: NIMH Tackles Suicide Prevention, Mental Health During COVID-19 – By Faith Ryan, September 29, 2020. GovernmentCIO.
