Marie Pascua

TALKING POINTS

Advocating for: ​Increase funding/donations towards the American Foundation for Suicide
Prevention (AFSP), which has played a significant role in the research of mental health and the
education and destigmatization towards suicide and suicide prevention.

TALKING POINTS/FACTS
● The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is the first national non-profit
organization that is dedicated to utilizing research, education, and advocacy to understand
and prevent suicide. Since it’s creation in 1987, it has been able to press for legislation
and policies that would push the goal of preventing suicide. This includes implementing
mandatory suicide prevention programs for schools and landmark legislation like the
Excellence in Mental Health Act. (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention [AFSP],
2018)
● According to the World Health Organization [WHO] (2018a), up to 800,000 people die
every year because of suicide. Among 15-29-year-olds, suicide is the second leading
cause of death. It’s vital that we continue funding research done by the AFSP to discover
new effective ways to prevent suicide.
● Some contributing factors to why someone may want to commit suicide include sexual
abuse, family violence, homophobia, bullying, and the stigma around mental illness that
can prevent them from seeking treatment (Goldney, 2008). It’s important to address these
issues through things like policies and legislation.
● One of AFSP’s research studies concluded that limiting a person’s access to methods of
killing themselves can ultimately decrease suicide rates (AFSP, 2018b). Legislation that
restricts access to these means such as pesticides, coal gas, and jumping sites are
effective. Goldney (2008) found that there was a 22% decrease rate in England after an
increased presence of barriers on bridges and parking garages, which are common
jumping sites.
● 64.1% of youth that suffers from major depressive disorder do not receive any mental
health treatment. When left untreated, symptoms can worsen and include: feelings of
hopelessness, poor decision making, and other mental and psychological effects (Mental
Health America, 2017)
● Treatments for depression can include antidepressant drugs, interventions, and
psychological therapies (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [NICE],
2005). It’s important to have laws such as the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental
Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act to ensure everyone can afford mental illness
treatment (​American Psychological Association, n.d.).
● There are people who don’t seek treatment for a mental illness because of the stigma
surrounding them. They don’t want to be labeled as weird or crazy and then isolated by
 society (NICE, 2005). The educating of schools, workplaces, and communities regarding
the seriousness of mental illnesses is critical in destigmatizing the idea around it.
● A study was done by ​Ramberg, Di Lucca, & Hadlaczky (2016) to investigate the effects
of suicide-preventative training on their attitudes with working with suicidal patients and
prevention methods. They discovered that suicide preventative education improved their
attitudes thus enhancing their confidence in their ability to care for suicidal patients.
Overall, the funding AFSP contributes to training clinicians in suicide prevention
improves and contribute to suicide prevention in a health care setting.
● Dealing with losing a loved one to suicide can be life-changing and hard to deal with.
AFSP has a Survivor Outreach Program that provides support and resources to those
dealing with the aftermath of a suicide (AFSP, 2018a).
● A supportive environment can be beneficial when treating a mental illness and preventing
suicide (Goldney, 2008). ASFP has chapters in all 50 states that hold events and
programs. They have created a community that is educated about mental health and gives
support for those affected by suicide.

References:

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention [AFSP]. 2018a. About AFSP. Retrieved from
https://afsp.org/about-afsp/

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention [AFSP]. 2018b. Our Work: Research. Retrieved
from ​https://afsp.org/our-work/research/

American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Does your insurance cover mental health services?
Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/parity-guide.aspx

Goldney, R. (2008). ​Suicide prevention​ (Oxford psychiatry library). Oxford; New York: Oxford
University Press.

Mental Health America. (2017). 2017 state of mental health in America - youth data.

Retrieved from

http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/issues/2017-state-mental-health-america-youth-data

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [NICE]. (2005).​ Depression in Children and

Young People: Identification and Management in Primary, Community and Secondary

 Care ​(​NICE Clinical Guidelines, No. 28)​. Retrieved from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0015779/

Ramberg, I. L., Di Lucca, M. A., & Hadlaczky, G. (2016). The Impact of Knowledge of Suicide

Prevention and Work Experience among Clinical Staff on Attitudes towards Working

with Suicidal Patients and Suicide Prevention. ​International journal of environmental

research and public health,​ ​13(​ 2), 195. doi:10.3390/ijerph13020195

World Health Organization [WHO]. 2018. Mental Health: Suicide Data. Retrieved from
http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/suicideprevent/en/
November 8, 2018

Governor-Elect Gavin Newsom

State Capitol, Suite 1114
Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear Governor-Elect Gavin Newsom,

I am writing to propose funding for the research and programs that help us understand

and prevent suicide, specifically to non-profit organizations like the American Foundation for

Suicide Prevention. In the 2018-2019 Governor's Budget, 32.1% of the Total State Funds went to

Health and Human Services. Included in this, is Mental Health Services. I want to ensure that

during your term as our next Governor, non-profit mental health programs are not overlooked.

Programs like the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention allocate their funding

towards scientific research, educating the public about mental health, advocating for public

policies in suicide prevention and providing support for those dealing with the aftermath of

suicide. These efforts are vital in creating a community that does not encourage the stigma

surrounding mental illness, rather one that is supportive and educated. Since becoming the first

non-profit organization dedicated to suicide prevention through education, research, and

advocacy, AFSP has had many accomplishments. These include creating public policy at all

levels of government to advance the prevention of suicide, connecting tens of thousands of

people who have been affected by suicide with their chapters all over the country, and

conducting groundbreaking research on suicide and its prevention. With 800,000 deaths each
year being caused by suicide and many of them being our youth, suicide prevention research and

programs help us fight this global health epidemic.

These non-profit organizations are critical in the destigmatization of suicide and mental

illnesses. Supporting these programs means raising awareness, providing resources to those

affected by suicide and funding research to improve the existing prevention methods. 64.1% of

youth that suffers from major depressive disorder do not receive any mental health treatment.

That number is unnecessarily high but, ASFP is able to reach out to those at risk for suicide.They

can also educate and encourage schools, workplaces, and communities on how to do so as well.

Please continue to support these non-profit organizations that depend on donations and funding

to continue their good work. It’s important to continue educating the public on the impact of

mental health illness and what we can do to prevent suicide.

Sincerely,

Marie Pascua

Health Science Student, CSULB