Mental health promotion and suicide prevention

Addressing suicide and depression are state priorities.

• Depression is a common but serious mood disorder. It causes persistent severe symptoms that affect how a person feels, thinks, and handles daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working (National Institute of Mental Health, 2023)
• Death by suicide is the second leading cause of death for Washington youth, 10-24 years old (Washington State's Plan for Youth Suicide Prevention).

Youth mental health in Washington State:

• 30 percent of 10th grade students report feeling so sad or hopeless for two weeks or more that they stopped doing their usual activities (Healthy Youth Survey, 2023).
• 9 percent of 8th grade students report having attempted suicide in the past year (Healthy Youth Survey, 2023).
• But, there is still a high level of hope among Washington’s youth. Hope is the belief that the future can be better than the past and you play a role in making it so, and 42 percent of 8th graders and 43 percent of 10th graders report high levels of hope (Healthy Youth Survey, 2023).

View current Mental Health Promotion Project (MHPP) grantees and community-based organization (CBO) information.

What is Washington doing to promote mental health and prevent suicide?

Mental health promotion strategies are being implemented throughout the state at local, county, and state levels, across the Continuum of Care that influence multiple domains and risk and protective factors. Here is a list of some state-wide initiatives focused specifically on mental health promotion and suicide prevention:

• Washington State Suicide Prevention Plan - Statewide plan developed by Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and the State Suicide Prevention Plan Steering Committee
• The Health Care Authority (HCA) Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery supports community-based organizations with mental health promotion and suicide prevention grants across the state.
• 988 crisis line implementation - DOH in partnership with HCA
• Forefront Suicide Prevention - University of Washington, School of Social Work
• Youth suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention - Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Teen depression: More than just moodiness - National Institute of Mental Health

Resources

• Mental health promotion and suicide prevention resources
• 988 key messages - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Partner toolkit
• What happens what you dial 988?
• Suicide Prevention Resource for Action - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Media response to suicide best practices

Reporting on Suicide is a recommended resource for media partners covering suicide. This resource explains how we can reframe a story on suicide to offer hope and encourage people to seek help. Best practices and guidelines for talking about suicide continue to evolve as we learn from research and the guidance of people who have attempted suicide or lost a loved one to suicide. Here is a current example of safe messaging.

Community library - Mental health promotion and suicide prevention

Community library - mental health

Community library - suicide

Who can I contact for more information about mental health promotion?

Billy Reamer
Mental Health Promotion Integration and Prevention System Manager
Billy.Reamer@hca.wa.gov

Brittany Smith
Mental Health Promotion Integration and Prevention System Manager
Brittany.Smith@hca.wa.gov