World Suicide Prevention Day Is Today
CHICAGO (CBS)--Today is World Suicide Prevention Day.
The non-profit group "To Write Love On Her Arms" is launching a new campaign called "Tomorrow Needs You." The campaign encourages people to break the silence surrounding suicide and helps raise money to help connect people with counseling and mental health resources.
The group says the suicide rate in the United States has risen 25% in the last 20 years. And in the last decade, suicide rates among young people ages 10-17 have increased by more than 70%.
Today is World Suicide Prevention Day. Every life lost to suicide represents someone's partner, child, parent, friend or colleague. We need to work together to prevent suicide - we've all got a role to play. #WSPD2018 #RUOKDay pic.twitter.com/nD9rFzS35F
— R U OK? (@ruokday) September 9, 2018
All of September is National Teen Suicide Awareness Month.
For every person who dies by suicide, there are 278 people who think seriously about it. Help and hope is possible. This World Suicide Prevention Day, #BeTheDifference by joining @800273TALK, and learn how to answer the call for support: [https://t.co/9jPLce73Al] pic.twitter.com/WqVrIK8uTO
— National Council for Mental Wellbeing (@NationalCouncil) September 10, 2018
Chicagoland high school athletes and are coming together to raise awareness.
The nonprofit Buddy's Helpers collected 5,600 sweatshirts to represent the number of annual teen suicide attempts. The sweatshirts were donated to homeless shelters in Chicago.
The phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 800-273-8255.