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CrisisLink Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Elise Lever, 703-527-6603, elise@crisislink.org
National Suicide Prevention Week is September 9-15, 2007
More than 800,000 Americans attempt suicide each year
ARLINGTON, VA (September 10, 2007)-Approximately 811,000 Americans attempt suicide each year and an estimated 5 million Americans are survivors of the suicide of a friend, family member, or loved one. To raise awareness of this major public health problem, the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) has declared September 9-15, 2007 to be National Suicide Prevention Week, in conjunction with the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Federation for Mental Health's World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10.
Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States, with one suicide occurring on average every 16 minutes. Even more alarming, suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among 15- to 24-year olds.
"With suicide deaths outnumbering homicide deaths almost 4 to 1 in Northern Virginia, the need for prevention in our region is overwhelming," says Carol Loftur-Thun, executive director of CrisisLink, an organization dedicated to saving lives and preventing tragedies by providing vital support to those facing life crises, trauma and suicide, and offering information, education, and links to community resources to empower people to help themselves. "The number of young people calling CrisisLink's Hotlines has skyrocketed 227 percent and total calls have jumped 78 percent over the last three years."
Youth suicide is particularly a problem in Northern Virginia. According to "The World According to Our Kids, 2006," issued by the Arlington Partnership for Children, Youth and Families, 13 percent of Arlington 10th grade students vs. 9 percent nationally and 14 percent of Arlington 12th grade students vs. 5 percent nationally have made at least one suicide attempt.
Even among middle school age children in Arlington, 8 percent of 6th and 11 percent of 8th grade students reported having made at least one suicide attempt. In Fairfax County, 12.9 percent of students, grades 6 through 12, have seriously considered attempting suicide and 3.4 percent have actually attempted suicide in the last 12 months, according to the 2005 Fairfax County Youth Survey published by Fairfax County and Fairfax County Public Schools.
CrisisLink operates several Hotlines around the clock to support anyone facing life crisis or suicide and connect them to community resources. The numbers are 703-527-4077, 1-800-SUICIDE, and 1-800-273-TALK.
Knowing how to react in a situation involving a suicidal individual is critical to saving lives. Available for download from CrisisLink's web site is Ways to Assist Someone Who is Suicidal, a one-page document outlining key steps to de-escalating such situations. A variety of information and links to additional resources can be found in the Resources section of CrisisLink's web site at http://www.crisislink.org/resources/.
CrisisLink saves lives and prevents tragedies every day by providing those facing life crises, trauma, and suicide with support, information, and links to community resources. Since 1969, CrisisLink has fielded over half a million calls, provided a quarter of a million referrals, and answered over 20,000 calls concerning suicide. CrisisLink provides youth and senior outreach programs; community training on mental health and suicide prevention; the first comprehensive postvention program in the region with immediate support and support groups for survivors of sudden and traumatic loss; and training for professionals and community members. www.crisislink.org