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Advancing Suicide Prevention: The Role of Technology and AI in Mental Health Care
Suicide rates in the U.S. have reached alarming levels, with 13.2 million adults experiencing serious suicidal thoughts annually, 3.8 million making a plan, and 1.6 million attempting suicide. These statistics reflect a public health emergency that demands urgent attention. Yet, access to quality...
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Leadership’s Responsibility for Postvention Following a Death by Suicide
While society has grown more open to discussions centering around suicide - both its prevention and its impact on survivors - the subject remains fraught among mental health clinicians who have treated people who have died in this manner. The death of a client by suicide can elicit in providers...
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NYSPA Report: New Federal Policy in Support of Suicide Prevention
Earlier this year, the Biden Administration launched a new national strategy on Suicide Prevention. According to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): In the United States, someone dies by suicide every 11 minutes; the rates of suicidal behaviors have...
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Black Women and Suicide: The Silent Crisis and Its Aftermath on Families
Suicide among Black women is a heartbreaking and complex issue that has often been overlooked in public health discussions. Despite the cultural narratives of strength and resilience surrounding Black women, they face mental health challenges that are deeply rooted in historical and social...
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The Heavy Burden of Suicide Survivor’s Guilt: Understanding, Coping and Moving Forward
Family, friends, and even mere acquaintances are left with a wide range of feelings after someone in their life commits suicide. Feelings of responsibility, regret, and helplessness manifest in a complex experience called Survivor’s Guilt. This painful guilt grows from a sense of intense remorse...
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Using Big Data Analytics to Predict and Prevent Mental Health Crises
In recent years, mental health crises and suicide rates have surged across America. This concerning trend spans demographics, with 11.5% of youth (over 2.7 million people) reporting severe major depression and 20.78% of adults (over 50 million people) facing some form of mental illness. The...
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CDC Report: Why Schools Are Crucial for Youth Suicide Prevention
Our schools have the power to be one of the strongest allies in protecting the mental health of our youth. With growing concerns about suicide prevention, the latest Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report from the CDC underscores the urgent need for proactive measures. Schools...
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A Decade of Advancements in Behavioral Health Technology for Pennsylvania Students
The year was 2014, and Drexel University, where I was working at the time, partnered with Pennsylvania’s Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) in submitting and being awarded a 5-year, $736,000 annually Garrett Lee Smith (GLS) grant for youth suicide prevention. Our...
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The Long-Term Psychological Effects of Hazing and How We Can Prevent Them
Danny Santulli, an 18-year-old college freshman, was a victim of a hazing incident in 2021. During a fraternity hazing ritual at the University of Missouri, he was forced to drink excessive amounts of alcohol, resulting in alcohol poisoning and brain damage. Danny was left unable to speak, walk, or...
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No Judgment. Just Help: What You Can Do to Support Suicide Prevention Month Efforts
Ask almost anyone about suicide, and you’ll likely find they have been personally impacted by the loss – or near loss – of a loved one. It’s perhaps not surprising given the statistics. In 2022 alone, more than 49,000 people in the United States died by suicide, the highest number ever...
