Mental Health Experts Address the Growing Suicide Crisis

Mentally ill girl commits suicide

In our post about Mental Health Awareness Month, we mentioned some alarming stats about suicide rates in the US. It should be inexplicable that suicide rates have risen by 40% in the past twenty years. After all, the field of psychology has improved dramatically and we have never had as much access to information as we do now.

With this in mind, we are going to explore what is going on. There are no better people to ask than those working in mental health care on a daily basis.

Here is what mental health leaders are saying about the alarming rise in suicide rates.

Should We Expect Suicide Rates to Decrease?

Let’s begin by putting the paradox of increasing suicide rates into context.

There are a number of factors that should be driving suicide rates down, not up:

  • Increasing awareness of mental health issues
  • More routes to treatment than ever before, including online
  • Stigma and taboo surrounding mental health has decreased
  • New therapies and medications are available
  • Public health initiatives have focused on prevention, as well as getting people into treatment

These are all compelling reasons that suicide rates should be decreasing. So why is it that the opposite is occurring?

Suicide is Seen as Taboo

Suicide is still seen as taboo. On the one hand, more people feel comfortable speaking about mental illness. On the other hand, almost everyone seems to balk at the thought of speaking about suicide.

A clear example of this can be seen in the words people use on TikTok. The owners of the platform are scared of the discussion and any mention of suicide is likely to get a video taken down. As such, creators have resorted to using the term ‘unaliving’ oneself.

Dr. Rheeda Walker, a psychology professor at the University of Houston and director of the Culture, Risk, and Resilience Lab, speaks about how different things could be without the stigma:

“Perhaps if those who died by suicide were able to openly discuss their mental health struggles and intentions without shame or judgment, before they acted, the outcome would have been different.”

“Suicide prevention only works if we have knowledge, courage and insight before someone is in crisis.”

Funding is Required For Suicide Prevention Programs

Another issue that has gotten in the way of suicide prevention is a lack of funding. Yes, there are more public health initiatives than before. But it is still not enough. High quality services are required across the country, but resources have not been adequately made available.

The good news is that initiatives that are well funded do an excellent job at addressing the crisis.

Dr. Laine Taylor, Chief Medical Officer at The Village, spoke about the benefits of expertly-designed mental health centers:

“Rather than walk into a sterile hospital environment where you’re amongst the physically ill and individuals suffering from trauma, you can walk into a warm, kid-friendly environment to be seen by a multidisciplinary team. And then we can connect you to a community mental health provider that will support you in the long term.”

COVID-19 Set Us Back

It would be naive to blame the suicide crisis on COVID-19. Suicide rates had risen 40% since the turn of the century by the time the pandemic hit. However, we were starting to see things turn around.

In 2018, for the first time this century, suicide rates decreased, if only slightly. That trend continued into 2019. Then, with the loss of life, economic struggles, and social isolation during the months that followed, suicide rates rose significantly once again, especially among youth.

In 2021, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy stated in an advisory:

“The pandemic era’s unfathomable number of deaths, pervasive sense of fear, economic instability, and forced physical distancing from loved ones, friends, and communities have exacerbated the unprecedented stresses young people already faced. It would be a tragedy if we beat back one public health crisis only to allow another to grow in its place.”

Neglecting Diversity in Mental Health Care

Suicide rates have not changed to the same extent across the board. Certain demographics have seen a slight decrease, while others have increased far more than most. The communities hit hardest are those that are racially, culturally, and socioeconomically diverse.

Part of the reason for this is that these communities have faced more difficulties than others in recent years, including bearing the greatest brunt of the pandemic. Another reason is that they have received less funding for mental health initiatives.

However, there is another issue that has long been a problem in mental health care. There is a lack of cultural competency. Many practitioners fail to take into account the differences in the experience of mental health within minority groups.

Chantel Cohen, LCSW, founder and CEO of CWC Coaching & Therapy, writes:

“Research has shown that cultural competence training can improve the abilities of providers when treating patients from diverse communities. But it is not merely an added benefit; it is an absolute necessity. Mental health symptoms can manifest differently across cultures, making it essential for practitioners to understand these differences and respond accordingly.”

Conclusion

The increase in suicide rates over the past two decades indicates a failure within our healthcare system of addressing the problem. Mental health experts are better placed than anyone to understand why this is so. The good news is that the problems can be identified and overcome.

There is still a suicide crisis in the US, but that will not always be the case. Increased access to care, unhindered by the issues mentioned above, will show dividends.