Suicide Prevention Day: Social Factors of a Mental Health Crisis

Tuesday, September 10th, is World Suicide Preventon Day. If you are looking for an expert to discuss suicide prevention, Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs professor Michiko Ueda-Ballmer is available for interviews. She is one of the authors on a new research series (mentioned below in her comments). If you’d like to schedule at interview, please reach out to Vanessa Marquette, media relations specialist, at vrmarque@syr.edu.

Professor Ueda-Ballmer writes: “Suicide has traditionally been viewed as solely a mental health issue. However, it’s crucial to shift this narrative – social factors significantly influence an individual’s decision to contemplate suicide. These factors include poverty, addiction, discrimination, social isolation, and the impact of media. The findings from this six-paper Series in Lancet Public Health, developed by the world’s leading suicide prevention experts, emphasize the need to promote upstream measures that address these social determinants alongside clinical treatment for mental illness. The Series suggests potential interventions such as economic policies to reduce poverty and regulations on alcohol consumption and social media platforms.”