Re-evaluating national suicide prevention month
Strategic timing and enhanced impact
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15295513 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jeanne M Ward (0000-0003-0816-0933, University of Southern California, corresponding author), Alina Yang (0000-0002-5241-178X, University of Southern California), Yipu Shi (0000-0003-1004-8596, University of Southern California), Yaya Shi (0000-0002-8410-598X, University of Southern California), Alexandra M Haydinger (University of Southern California), Alexandra Haydinger (University of Southern California), John R Blosnich (0000-0001-7663-3638, University of Southern California) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 35 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2025-06-24 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Critical Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0958-1596 • E-ISSN: 1469-3682 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/09581596.2025.2522328 |
| PMID | 40741523 |
| OpenAlex | W4411606310 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 85 |
Awareness months are used as promotion strategies to enhance public health through increasing knowledge and behavioral change, including suicide prevention. However, given epidemiologic evidence and the historical impact of awareness months on health behaviors, the purpose of this paper is to encourage reconsideration of the current timing of suicide prevention month. In the U.S., most suicide deaths occur in May. The original National Suicide Prevention Week was established in May 1974 by the American Association of Suicidology. In the early 2000s, this week was moved to September to align with a global effort by the International Association for Suicide Prevention and the World Health Organization, establishing September 10th as World Suicide Prevention Day and September as National Suicide Prevention Month. This commentary reviews evidence around awareness months/weeks/days and provides a brief history of suicide prevention awareness wee development, inviting a deeper consideration of the timing of National Suicide Prevention Week with epidemiologic trends in suicide attempts and deaths. Specifically, if calendar-anchored campaigns successfully increase awareness and behavior change, then perhaps the placement of National Suicide Prevention Month in September is not maximizing benefit in the U.S. because epidemiologic evidence suggests suicides peak in late spring/early summer, making this a potentially better time to increase awareness campaigns. By aligning the awareness month with the peak of the phenomenon, enhanced suicide prevention awareness could reduce suicide attempts and deaths. Re-scheduling this effort would require nationwide coordinated conversations with stakeholder groups, including non-profit advocacy organizations, loss survivors, researchers, prevention programs, and care agencies
Business · Environmental health · Environmental planning · Geography · Political science · Child and Adolescent Health · Medicine · Mental Health Treatment and Access · Psychology · Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
Diffusion Theory and Knowledge Dissemination, Utilization, and Integration in Public Health
Suicide as an outcome for mental disorders
How Many People Are Exposed to Suicide? Not Six
Mortality in Mental Disorders and Global Disease Burden Implications
Improving Suicide Prevention Through Evidence-Based Strategies
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A Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Mediated Health Communication Campaigns on Behavior Change in the United States
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Years On
Campanhas de prevenção ao suicídio e recepção por jovens universitários
Health Awareness Days
Falling Behind
Sunshine and suicide at the tropic of Capricorn, São Paulo, Brazil, 1996-2004
The spring peak in suicides
The effect of national suicide prevention programs on suicide rates in 21 OECD nations
Evaluating National Health Communication Campaigns
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |