Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the national nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation reports that suicide death rates in 2020 were highest among American Indian and Alaska Native people, males, and people who live in rural areas. While women are more likely to report mental illness and are more likely to attempt suicide, suicide death rates for men are four times higher. The report comes ahead of the launch of a new crisis line, 988, that goes live this Saturday. The Bipartisan Policy Center provides details on the funding and policy steps taken to implement 988 and identifies three areas – federal interagency collaboration, the behavioral health workforce, and financing – essential to its success.
