September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Executive director of the Center for Suicide Awareness in Wisconsin Barb Bigalki says the month is a time for people to raise awareness of suicide, recognize those who have been affected by it, and provide necessary resources to those in need. Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-14, the 3rd leading cause of death among those aged 15-24 and the 12th leading cause of death overall in the U.S. In July of last year the federal government introduced the 988 suicide hotline, a 24/7 confidential support provider for those in distress.
