Editorial: Tennessee taking steps to lower risk of suicide

This is Suicide Prevention Month, and it's well worth noting that Tennessee has made great strides in the five years since Gov. Bill Lee declared it to be a state priority and appointed a Suicide Prevention Advisory Council to coordinate the implementation of a new strategy. But more needs to be done.At the time, suicide was the ninth-leading cause of death in the state and the second-leading cause of death among the age range of 10 to 24 years. Suicide was the leading cause of death for children ages 10 through 17.The suicide rate for 2021 in Tennessee was 17.5 per 100,000 population, which was 25% higher than the national rate of 14% per 100,000 population — and the national rate is skyrocketing.Over the past two decades the U.S. suicide rate has climbed 36%, and continued pressures found in our societal structure can serve to escalate the threat.But in 2019, Governor Lee acted, and the advisory council crafted, an approach to help save lives.The state's suicide prevention activities are led by the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network, a public-private organization responsible for implementing the Tennessee Strategy for Suicide Prevention.TSPN is overseen by the gubernatorial-appointed Tennessee Suicide Prevention Advisory Council, an independent, nonpartisan, voluntary group of individuals, organizations, and public and private agencies that promote community awareness of the signs of suicide and intervention strategies for the prevention of suicide.The strategy for suicide prevention, most recently revised in 2023, is the state's guiding suicide prevention document and shapes TSPN's outreach, education and awareness efforts.Additional state suicide prevention initiatives and programs are housed within the Tennessee Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services.Steps taken under that strategy include public and private health plans regularly submitting parity compliance analyses to state regulators, inclusion of the 988 suicide and crisis lifelines on student ID cards, suicide prevention and mental health training for certain school personnel, suicide prevention, intervention and postvention policies, and regular training for mental health professionals.Remaining to be done are such things as excused mental health absences for students, reporting by schools of student suicide risks to parents, and most important, student education on suicide prevention and regular information made available to students on mental health and suicide prevention services.As well, parents should be provided regular information on what to watch for in children, and other adults.They need to encourage those who might need help by advising them on where to find it including the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline, which they may call 24 hours per day, seven days a week, via call or text.Tennessee also has a statewide crisis line at 855-274-7471.Anyone who needs help can access the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline, which they may call 24 hours per day, seven days a week, via call or text.