In honor of National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, Everytown for Gun Saftey published a report on the rise of firearm suicide among our country’s youth.
As this issue touches on Temple Jeremiah’s Gun Saftey and Mental Health advocacy platforms, we invite you to read the report and consider taking the following steps to promote suicide prevention:
Learn about the risk factors and warning signs of suicide. Knowing the risk factors and warning signs that may indicate someone is at risk of taking their life is critical to saving lives. While these factors and behaviors, whether in yourself or in a loved one, do not automatically mean someone is at a risk for suicide, they may be significant and are important to recognize, especially if they are new or have increased. To learn more, read the American Association of Suicidology’s flyer on the warning signs of acute suicide risk.
Learn how to talk about mental health. If a friend, family member, or loved one is exhibiting any of the above warning signs and you are worried they are contemplating suicide, it is important to have an open and honest conversation with them and not wait in the hope that they will start to feel better. Learn more about how to have a #RealConvo from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Promote gun safety. This includes measures as simple as encouraging gun owners to store their guns locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition.
Reach out for help when you need it. Suicide prevention hotlines, such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL), are staffed by trained counselors who assess callers for suicide risk, provide crisis counseling, and offer referrals, including lethal-means counseling when someone mentions that they have firearms or other lethal means in the home.