During the month of September, our nation drew attention to suicide prevention with a suicide prevention week occurring between the 6 and 12. The official day for suicide prevention was on Sept. 10. Many companies stepped in to help with this cause from donating to  providing help to those in need; even the government had some plans to bring attention to this very serious issue.

    A major bill was passed for a National Suicide Hotline, which will be in a similar format to 911. The National Suicide Prevention Hotline will be reached by dialing  the number  988. This was approved by The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and signed by the president Oct. 17, 2020 and by July 16, 2022, all phone services will be required to send  988 calls directly to The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. This date was chosen to give the organization time to prepare for an almost certain increase in calls when it’s finalized. This 988 number will include connections for veterans, where by  pressing one it will connect people to the Veteran Crisis Line. With suicide rates on the rise  since the 1990s, having the National Suicide Hotline will have an impact on many people.

    The Suicide Prevention Lifeline also contributed to  the #BeThe1To trend, which consisted of five steps people can follow to help those who consider suicide. That list goes in order of Ask, Be There, Keep Them Safe, Help Them Connect and Follow Up; this trend was supported by over 40 different companies and organizations, with many all aimed towards the same goal of helping those in need.

    Though Nation Suicide Month is over, this shouldn’t stop anyone from still doing their part in order to help those who may consider suicide. With Covid-19 taking a toll on many people’s mental health, the rates for those who take their own lives has unfortunately gone up, and people need to step in and help them and make a difference for the better.

Sources:

https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2019/988-suicide-prevention-hotline.html

https://www.bethe1to.com/

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/2661/text