Every September, we say the right words about Suicide Prevention Month. Then October comes, and too often the conversation goes quiet. We can’t afford the silence.
Suicide remains a persistent, preventable tragedy — one that disproportionately claims the lives of men — and prevention has to be a year-round habit, not a once-a-year slogan.
In 2023, 49,316 Americans died by suicide, a toll essentially unchanged from 2022 when you adjust for population.
The national, age-adjusted rate stayed nearly flat year-over-year — 14.21 per 100,000 (2022) vs. 14.12 (2023) — which is to say: still far too high. Looking across the past five years, rates dipped briefly in 2019–2020, rose again in 2021 and have hovered near recent highs through 2023.
Men are at the center of this story. In 2023, men died by suicide 3.8 times more often than women, and just over half (55%) of all suicide deaths involved firearms — lethality that too often turns a moment of crisis into an irreversible loss.
Age patterns also challenge our assumptions: suicide was the second leading cause of death for people 10–34 in 2023, while the highest rates were among adults 85 and older and 75–84. These are uncomfortable facts, and that’s exactly why they must anchor our year-round response.
What causes suicide? There is no single cause. Instead, risk accumulates: underlying mental health conditions (often undiagnosed), substance use, prior attempts, trauma and loss, social isolation, access to lethal means, serious medical illness and more.
Knowing the warning signs — talking about wanting to die, feeling trapped or hopeless, escalating substance use, giving away possessions, withdrawing or dramatic mood changes — can save a life.
So what do we actually do — today, and again next month?
First, ask — and ask plainly. If you’re worried about someone, especially a man who’s gone quiet or “powers through” pain, use direct, compassionate language: “I care about you. Are you thinking about suicide?” Asking does not plant the idea; it opens a door. Then listen without judgment, reflect back what you hear and help them make a specific plan to get through the next hours and days. If there’s imminent danger, don’t leave them alone and seek urgent help.
Second, make the environment safer. Simple, practical steps like locking up firearms and medications or temporarily transferring access during a crisis — reduce risk right now.
Evidence-based tools such as Safety Planning and Lethal Means Counseling can be done quickly in clinics, ERs or community settings, and they work.
Third, normalize reaching out without fear. For people who are struggling, a frequent barrier is the worry: If I tell someone, will I be hospitalized?
988 is a 24/7, free and confidential line where trained counselors first focus on collaboration and safety, not coercion. You choose how much to share; the goal is to help you feel safer in the moment and connect you with local resources through a network of 200-plus community crisis centers.
Text-based options matter, too: Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7, confidential support by texting HOME to 741741 — a lowest-barrier way to talk when voice feels impossible.
Finally, keep at it. Men are often socialized to say, “I’ve got it.” We can answer that message — with persistence. Check in again. Invite him on a walk. Share a meal. Help make the appointment. Prevention isn’t a single heroic act; it’s a string of small, human-sized actions repeated over time.
If you’re crafting policy or shaping programs, prioritize what moves outcomes now: expand access to brief suicide-specific interventions and follow-up supports after ER visits; normalize and fund lethal-means safety; train peers and supervisors in direct, compassionate conversation; and sustain the 988 crisis network so callers meet local help backed by national standards.
Suicide Prevention Month is the reminder on our calendars. But the people we love — especially our fathers, sons, brothers, partners and friends — need our attention in October, January and June, too. Keep talking. Keep asking. Keep showing up.
Here are some shareable resources that are nonprofit and confidential:
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988, or chat at www.988lifeline.org — free, confidential, 24/7; routed to local crisis centers
- Crisis Text Line (www.crisistextline.org): Text HOME to 741741 for free, 24/7, confidential support by text
- Learn warning signs and risk factors: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (https://afsp.org), NAMI (www.nami.org)
- How to ask someone you’re worried about: The Jed Foundation (https://jedfoundation.org)
