September Is Suicide Prevention Month: Support and Resources

September 2nd is Suicide Prevention Month, and September 10th is National American Indian and Alaska Native Hope for Life Day.

Suicide Prevention by the Numbers

In 2023, the national suicide rate for American Indian and Alaska Native people was 23.8 deaths per 100,000, compared with 14.1 nationally. Among AI/AN adults ages 25–44, the rate reached 45.1 per 100,000. In Arizona, provisional 2024 data recorded an AI/AN suicide rate of 34.0 per 100,000, approximately 73% higher than the statewide rate of 19.7.

There is no single cause. Limited access to behavioral-health care, long travel distances, substance use, economic hardship, discrimination, family and relationship challenges, and historical and intergenerational trauma can all contribute. These experiences also vary greatly among Tribal Nations and individuals.

Community, Connection, and Hope

Tribal, Native-focused, Indian Health Service, Arizona, and national resources below, including crisis contacts, behavioral-health providers, phone numbers, websites, and local map links.

The statistics are serious, but help can change the outcome. Research has found 45% fewer suicidal behaviors with safety planning and follow-up, while brief interventions can make people three times more likely to connect with continued care. Here in Arizona, a community-based prevention program developed by the White Mountain Apache Tribe was associated with a 38.3% reduction in the Tribe’s suicide death rate.

Community matters too. Listening without judgment, checking on someone who seems withdrawn, helping them find care, or simply staying connected can make a difference. Support does not mean having all the answers. Sometimes it means making sure someone does not have to face a difficult moment alone.

Find Support

If you or someone you know needs immediate help, call or text 988. Native people can also text NATIVE to 741741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.

Sources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Differences in Suicide Rates, by Race and Ethnicity and Age Group, United States, 2018–2023

  https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/wr/mm7435a2.htm

• Arizona Department of Health Services — Health Profile of American Indian and Alaska Natives in Arizona, 2024

  https://www.azdhs.gov/documents/policy-intergovernmental-affairs/tribal-liaison/american-indian-alaskan-native-health-status-report-2024.pdf

• Arizona Suicide Prevention Coalition — Current Suicide Rates

  https://www.azspc.org/current-suicide-rates.html

• JAMA Psychiatry — Comparison of the Safety Planning Intervention With Follow-up vs Usual Care of Suicidal Patients Treated in the Emergency Department

  https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2687370

• JAMA Psychiatry — Association of Suicide Prevention Interventions With Subsequent Suicide Attempts, Linkage to Follow-up Care, and Depression Symptoms

  https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2767408

• White Mountain Apache Suicide Surveillance and Prevention System

  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5105000/

• Indian Health Service — Suicide Prevention and Care Program

  https://www.ihs.gov/suicideprevention/

• Indian Health Service — Suicide Prevention Health Topics

  https://www.ihs.gov/forpatients/healthtopics/suicideprevention/

• National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention — Hope for Life Day Toolkit

  https://theactionalliance.org/communities/american-indian-alaska-native/hope-life-day-toolkit