Suicide is a growing public health crisis that took more than 48,000 lives in the United States in 2018, according to the CDC. From 2014–2018, more than 6,700 Michiganders lost their lives to suicide.
Two-thirds of the suicide deaths in Michigan are adult men.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced on Sept. 29 they received $4.35 million in funding to be used over the next five years to address suicide in adult men from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Over the next five years, the newly funded MDHHS program Preventing Suicide in Michigan Men (PRiSSM) will work to reduce the number of deaths and attempts among men ages 25 and older by at least 10%. This will be accomplished through carefully planned, implemented and evaluated prevention efforts within communities and healthcare, as well as upstream initiatives – before suicidal behavior even occurs.
“This year has been especially challenging due to the COVID-19 pandemic and there are a number of stressors facing Michigan adults,” said Dr. Joneigh S. Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health.
“This grant will help us provide critical mental health supports to men and prevent suicide and the devastating impact suicide has on entire families and communities,” Khaldun added.
“Suicide is caused by multiple factors and prevention must go beyond individual behavior change,” said Dr. Deb Houry, director of CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.
“Support and coordination are needed from every sector of society that can directly promote resilience and reduce risk factors such as isolation, stress, substance use, and relationship, financial and job issues,” Houry added.
A comprehensive approach to suicide prevention supported by CDC’s funding includes:
- Strong leadership that convenes multi-sectoral partnerships.
- Prioritization of data to identify vulnerable populations and to better characterize risk and protective factors impacting suicide.
- Leveraging existing suicide prevention programs.
- Selecting multiple and complementary strategies with the best available evidence to fill gaps.
- Effective communication of progress and outcomes.
- Rigorous evaluation with built-in quality improvement and sustainability.
CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (the Injury Center) is providing $7 million per year for five years to nine award recipients from across the country, including Michigan. The Injury Center works to understand how injury and violence impact everyone – regardless of age, race or economic status – and what we can do to prevent them, with a particular focus on preventing suicide, overdose, and adverse childhood experiences.
The CDC’s new Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Program is the first CDC program to take a complete public health approach based on data and science to address the range of risk factors that contribute to suicide, particularly for vulnerable populations.
To learn more about what CDC is doing to prevent suicide, visit CDC’s Suicide Prevention webpage.
To be connected to a skilled, trained counselor in your area, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) or use the online Lifeline Crisis Chat at Suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
Additional emotional-support services for those who are feeling emotional distress during the COVID-19 pandemic are available at Michigan.gov/StayWell or by calling the Michigan Stay Well Counseling via the COVID-19 Hotline at 888-535-6136 and pressing “8” to talk to a counselor 24/7.
