Beyond the Stigma: Addressing Suicide Prevention in the Disability Community

September 2, 2024 | by sau1admin

Writer’s Note/ Content Warning: This blog talks about suicide prevention. Please make sure to follow SAU1’s number one rule, “take care of yourself,” whatever that means for you, while reading this blog.

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. World Suicide Prevention Day is September 10th and National Suicide Prevention Week is Monday, September 9th to Sunday, September 15th, 2024. If you are someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, you are not alone. This week we will look at some suicide prevention statistics and talk about how suicide affects the disability community.

The National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) tells us that suicide is the second leading cause of death among teens age 10 to 14. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people aged 15 to 24. While these statistics might seem shocking, the statistics for those in the disability community are even higher.

In a study from The National Institute of Health (NIH) where 1 out of 5 of the people who took the survey were people with disabilities, almost all of those people has either had suicidal thoughts or attempts. This number is even higher, if a person has more than one disability.

Given these numbers, it is more important now than ever before that we offer resources for those that experience disability. The most important thing is that this help is provided in an accessible way so that people can get help when they need it. In next week's blog we will talk about resources for when you are having a tough time and how to get the help you need, when you need it. Remember, you are not alone!