Recognizing suicide as a serious public health problem and expressing support for the designation of September as "National Suicide Prevention Month" as well as September 10, 2025, as "World Suicide Prevention Day".
This is a non-binding House resolution recognizing suicide as a serious public health problem and expressing support for designating September as National Suicide Prevention Month and September 10, 2025, as World Suicide Prevention Day. It cites data from the CDC, SAMHSA, VA, and NIH to illustrate the scope and impact of suicide across age groups, veterans, and other populations, and to emphasize that suicide prevention requires a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach. The resolution backdrop stresses that mental health is essential to overall health and calls for strategies to improve access to quality mental health care, substance abuse treatment, and suicide prevention services. It does not create new laws or funding, but it signals congressional support and sets a policy frame to guide future actions and awareness efforts.
Key Points
- 1Recognizes suicide as a preventable national public health problem and designates September as National Suicide Prevention Month and September 10, 2025, as World Suicide Prevention Day; positions suicide prevention as a congressional priority.
- 2Cites data from CDC, SAMHSA, VA, and NIH showing the substantial impact of suicide on various groups, including younger people, adults, and veterans, highlighting that suicide is a leading cause of death in several populations.
- 3Acknowledges that there is no single cause or one-size-fits-all program for suicide prevention, and that preventing suicide involves addressing multiple factors and populations with tailored approaches.
- 4Highlights the stigma surrounding mental health as a barrier to seeking help and the need to reduce stigma to improve access to life-saving resources.
- 5Supports the development and implementation of strategies to increase access to high-quality mental health care, substance abuse treatment, and suicide prevention services.