James Donaldson on Mental Health - Suicide Reenters Top 10 Causes of Death as More Americans Are Experiencing Mental Health Conditions

Preventing suicide There is no single cause or solution for suicide; health, family history, and societal and environmental factors can all increase suicide risk.

Prevention requires multifaceted approaches from multiple sources.

Hospitals and health systems should serve as one of these sources, as almost half of all people who die by suicide visit a healthcare provider in the month before their death.

Healthcare settings, including hospitals, have started to assess all patients for such risk—a practice called universal screening.

Data shows that universal suicide risk screening helps healthcare providers better identify people at risk and connect them to appropriate care and services.

A study of eight emergency departments (ED) across seven states found 30% fewer suicide attempts among patients who were screened and received evidence-based care compared with patients who were not screened.

However, a recent survey shows that more than a third of Joint Commission-accredited U.S.

hospitals are missing opportunities to screen all patients for suicide risk.

Only 8% of hospitals have instituted all the key components of evidence-based, best-practice suicide care interventions for patients found to be at risk, including a plan for lethal means safety , warm hand-offs to outpatient care, and follow-up contact after discharge.

In 2024, just over half of U.S adults with a mental health condition received treatment.