CT suicide prevention planning to save lives

Like the rest of the nation, deaths by suicide were rising in Connecticut even before the pandemic, according to the State of Connecticut Suicide Prevention Plan for 2020 – 2025. One in three Connecticut residents have reported signs of depressive and/or anxiety disorder during the pandemic. The newly released plan offers data-driven recommendations to prevent suicides in our state.

Suicide deaths in Connecticut eclipse both homicides and motor vehicle deaths. Suicide’s impact goes beyond the loss of the 428 Connecticut residents who died by suicide in 2018, but also profoundly impacts the people and communities they touched.

The new report parses suicide deaths, risks, and protective factors across the spectrum including age, gender, geography, race/ethnicity, occupation, unemployment, sexual identity, and people living with chronic conditions or disabilities.

The report gives detailed, constructive recommendations for educators, healthcare professionals, state agencies, nonprofits, families, and the public. Recommendations touch on awareness and training, violence, bullying, addiction treatment and prevention, access to mental health screenings and care, social networks, veterans, and more.