September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Why is it so important that we create awareness and take action? Because the data is alarming.

• Every day, approximately 130 Americans die by suicide. That is one person every 11 minutes.
• There is one death by suicide for every estimated 25 suicide attempts. That number rises to 1 in 4 in the elderly population.
• 46% of people who die by suicide had a known mental health condition
• In 2019, there were an estimated 1.38 million suicide attempts
• An estimated 285,000 people become suicide survivors each year
• Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States for all ages, and the second leading cause of death among young people in the 15 to 24 years age group.
• 8.9 percent of youth in grades 9-12 reported that they had made at least one suicide attempt in the past 12 months

One group that feels a tremendous impact from death by suicide and suicide ideation is the LGTBQ+ youth community.

Suicidal Ideation Among LGBTQ Youth 

Within the United States, roughly 5.6% of the population identifies as a member of the LGBTQ community. Suicide prevention is a critical component of treating LGBTQ adolescents and young adults, who are far more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. According to the survey, 42% of all LGBTQ youth have seriously considered suicide in the past year, which is 4 times higher than their non-LGTBQ+ peers. One group in particular has spent a great deal of time studying the effects of mental health and social determinants of health issues that lead to suicide and suicide ideation for this at-risk population.

The Trevor Project is the leading national organization that provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth. Dr. Amy Green, Vice President of Research for The Trevor Project and her team produce innovative research that brings new clinical implications to the field of suicidology and LGBTQ+ mental health, which enables the organization to better understand the lives of LGBTQ+ youth and suicidality.

Listen to her Podcast, “LGTBQ+ Youth Suicide Prevention” on Psych Central, as she reveals the findings of the 2021 National Survey on LGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health and discusses what we, as a society, can do to reduce the risk of LGBTQ+ youth suicide.

Suicide Hotline Resources

If you or someone you know is in an emergency, call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or call 911 immediately. You can also text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor for free 24/7 support.

The Trevor Project offers trained counselors who offer support 24/7. If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgment-free place to talk, call the TrevorLifeline at 1-866-488-7386. You may also Text START to 678-678.

Share this information within your practice. Let’s create awareness together.