There are a lot of myths surrounding suicide and mental health. We have gathered resources and organized them below that seek to address some of the most common myths about suicide. In addition, we also want to direct you to some of the more significant statistics surrounding suicide.
National Suicide Prevention Hotline
General Information
Suicide & Mental Health Vocabulary
Suicide and mental health are both deeply personal and deeply sensitive. It is perfectly normal to be apprehensive when speaking about these topics for fear of saying the wrong thing. Here, we have organized a list of good resources for building a vocabulary around suicide prevention and mental health.
Link Between Mental Health & Suicide
Sometimes, suicide is caused by other mentally unhealthy behaviors or mental health disorders. These are referred to as co-occurring disorders. It is important to understand the interaction between pre-existing mental health disorders and suicide. Below, we have put together some resources related to suicide and some of the common co-occurring mental health disorders.
Managing Suicidal Thoughts
Suicidal thoughts and behaviors can be a challenge to manage. Here are some resources for identifying and managing suicidal impulses in yourself and others.
Suicide in Different Groups
Our behavior is informed by our own experiences and perceptions of the world around us. These same perceptions influence how people in crisis respond to our attempts to help keep them safe. We have assembled a group of resources (most of them from Canadian sources) for understanding and assisting some of these groups.
- Children and Suicide Resource Toolkit (PDF)
- Suicide Among Children Presentation (PDF)
- Teen Suicide Prevention Resource Toolkit (PDF)
- Women and Suicide Prevention Resource Toolkit (PDF)
- Men and Suicide Prevention Resource Toolkit (PDF)
- Seniors and Suicide Prevention Resources Toolkit (PDF)
- Sexual Minorities and Suicide – Toolkit (PDF)
- Successful People and Suicide (PDF)
- Transgender People and Suicide – Toolkit (PDF)
Prevention Methods for Different Groups
As important as understanding different people so you can best assess how to help them, it can be just as important to understand your role in help to prevent suicide. We have assembled some resources below for preventing suicide as a member of a specific group.
Jason Flatt Act Course
As part of our larger goal of providing suicide prevention resources and specialized training in suicide prevention, the Alabama Suicide Prevention Advisory Committee developed resources to assist educators and school administrators in fulfilling their mandated training in suicide prevention as part of the Jason Flatt Act. While specifically targeted towards educators and school administrators, these resources are available to anyone, at no cost.
Additional Links
There are other organizations that can assist you in preventing suicide or if you are having suicidal thoughts yourself. Below, we have compiled a list of a view of these resources.
| Title | File Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 US Data on Suicide | 2017 suicide statistics in the Unites States which include suicide rates based on gender, race/ethnicity, age, and method. | |
| Alabama Suicide Fact Sheet | A fact sheet with statistics of suicide in Alabama compared to the rest of the United States | |
| 10 Leading Causes of Death | List of the 10 leading causes of death;including suicide, by age group in the United States for the year 2017 | |
| Incidence of Suicide Among Children | Statistics and data about the incidence of suicide in children | |
| SAMHSA Suicide Prevention Facts & Resources | Suicide Prevention Facts and Available Resources |