The Problem

Suicide claims the life of someone every 40 seconds (World Health Organization, n.d.). According to the CDC, suicide has become the second leading cause of death between 10-29 years of age. (World Health Organization, n.d.). By now, we should recognize that suicide has surpassed being a public health concern; it is a worldwide epidemic.

As a result of Covid-19, suicide rates have increased significantly. The Washington Post reports suicide has reached a historic rise in 2020. The Healthline and Bristol Suicide & Self-harm Research Group agree that isolation and/or quarantine increases suicide ideation and causes long-term damage to the general population especially those who were vulnerable prior to the pandemic (2020). Sadly, here in South Florida, there is not enough support for those struggling with suicidal thoughts. For this reason, we recognized our call to action and decided to dedicate our time and resources to build a better solution for those struggling with suicide in our hometown.

A Problem Worth Solving

Internationally, there are more deaths from suicide than war and homicide combined (World Health Organization, n.d.). In Florida, suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15 to 29-year-olds and the second for people ages 25 to 34 (Jordan, 2020). According to the CDC, suicide has become an epidemic in our country taking the lives of approximately 30,000 people each year, an amount that has consistently grown since 1999 (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). The National Institute of Mental Health reports an increase of almost 25% over the last 20 years.

Last year in South Florida there were over 3,000 deaths by suicide. In Broward County, 9,000 Suicide Hotline calls went unanswered. Suicide Hotlines have been shown to greatly decrease instances of suicide; however, too many calls are going unanswered.

Nearly every state is showing data that suicide rates and hotline calls have increased since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020. There is no better time than now to reach out to our community to educate and empower those around us by creating a safe space where someone can be heard, helped, and healed through community support.

References

Broward County Public Schools. (2019, August 26). Suicide Prevention and Baker Act Handbook 2019-20. Retrieved November 11, 2020, from https://www.browardschools.com/cms/lib/FL01803656/Centricity/Domain/13477/Suicide_Handbook_3.pdf

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018, June 07). Suicide rising across the US. Retrieved November 11, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/suicide/index.html

Jordan, G. (2020, September 10). Staggering Statistics In Florida On World Suicide Prevention Day. Retrieved November 11, 2020, from https://news.wfsu.org/state-news/2020-09-10/staggering-statistics-in-florida-on-world-suicide-prevention-day

Krischer Goodman, C. (2019, September 05). Youth suicide and mental health issues reach crisis stage in South Florida. Retrieved November 10, 2020, from https://www.sun-sentinel.com/health/fl-ne-youth-suicide-20190830-k3k2xbhawrbyhamfdrp222lqo4-story.html

Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. (2020, January 16). SUICIDE PREVENTION COORDINATING COUNCIL 2019 ANNUAL REPORT. Retrieved November 11, 2020, from https://www.sprc.org/sites/default/files/2019 Annual Report Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council FINAL.pdf

Suicide and Self Harm Research Group. (2020). Home. Retrieved November 11, 2020, from https://bristolsash.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/

World Health Organization. (n.d.). Suicide: Facts and figures. Retrieved November 11, 2020, from https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/mental-health/suicide/infographics-suicide.pdf?sfvrsn=1762d200_2

We are here for you!