Since the U.S. Surgeon General's "Call to Action to Prevent Suicide" in 1999, focus has risen on suicide as a public health crisis. The incidents add up to 30,000 deaths a year among all Americans.
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) focusing on an area of special need, has published a set of guides to support individuals who attempt suicide, treated in hospital emergency rooms, and survive.
An estimated 30-50-percent of people who die from suicide have tried to kill themselves in the past.
NAMI executive director Michael J. Fitzpatrick says, "The guides bridge a gap in suicide prevention strategies. They offer support to people most involved in crisis of a suicide attempt and are intended to reduce the risk of additional attempts."
Each packet is made up of three brochures addressing the different audiences and are intended for distribution in emergency rooms and other professional settings. The guides give advice on taking care of yourself after an attempt, taking care of yourself and your family after an attempt, and helping patients and their families after an attempt.
The guides were developed in conjunction with the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, Education Development Center, funded by the federal Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
