Reducing the suicide rate 20 percent by 2025 may seem like a lofty goal, but it is achievable. There are simple actions everyone can take to help save a life in their families, neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, and communities.
“Everybody can play a role in being there for a friend, a classmate, or a loved one who is struggling or in crisis,” says Kim Torguson, associate director of communications for the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. “We know simple actions can help to save a life. It’s the reason the Action Alliance is uniting the field in September to educate the public about the role they have in preventing suicide.”
The Action Alliance and its partners, including the Suicide Prevention Resource Center at EDC, are coming together during National Suicide Prevention Week (September 10–16) to spread the word about steps everyone can take to prevent suicide:
- Promote #NSPW when posting social media messages about hope and resilience
- Sign up for the #NSPW Thunderclap campaign
- Share links to SPRC, the Action Alliance, and other organizations you know that provide resources for suicide prevention
- Share social media images on your social media channels
While the focus on suicide prevention is amplified during National Suicide Prevention Week, educating the public about suicide prevention is a year-round effort. Those who are messaging to the public about suicide and suicide prevention can find resources and information in the Framework for Successful Messaging, which was developed by the Action Alliance. The Framework is an online resource to help develop public messaging that is strategic, safe, and positive and makes use of relevant guidelines and best practices.
“Messaging matters,” says Torguson. “And successful and positive messaging can encourage help-seeking, promote resiliency, and publicize prevention.”