suicide prevention

A year after the creation of 988, the suicide and crisis lifeline will now be accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. Those who speak American Sign Language will soon have life saving intervention a phone call away.

Last July, the cumbersome 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline became 988. At the one-year mark, there’s some success to report: Texts to the lifeline increased dramatically and average wait times across the line plummeted from 2 minutes 39 seconds to 41 seconds.

After the death of her son, Tyler Clementi, Jane Clementi founded an organization dedicated to addressing teen bullying and suicide. Through that work, a song cycle was created in Tyler's honor. Hear Christy L'Esperance's conversation with Anthony Edwards, Music Director at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, about this choral tribute.

Clancy Martin’s new book “How Not to Kill Yourself” takes a bold and unflinching look at what he calls the suicidal mind. Combining aspects of memoir and social inquiry, the book underscores one big idea: We need to be talking about suicide.

Johnson County schools have found success in a suicide prevention effort where teenagers help each other through mental health problems. Plus, the families of students in the Independence School District say they're frustrated by a lack of transparency.

Zero Reasons Why began after a rise in teen suicides. Four years later there’s still work to be done, but officials say the program has contributed to a decline in suicides and an increase in young people reaching out for help.

Farmers die by suicide at a higher rate than the general population. That’s leading Midwestern states to train bankers, veterinarians and agribusiness professionals to be the new front line of defense against farm stress.

Fatima Larios grew up on California’s central coast. Her softball teammates at Chadron State College in Nebraska quickly caught on to her bright spirit and positive impact on others. Years later, her family says the school has quietly tried to distance itself from her death by suicide.

Many Missourians don't support the state's abortion ban, but that doesn't appear to change who they vote for. Plus: The 988 emergency mental health hotline debuted this summer, but some advocates question if Missouri is committed to funding the project long term.

In July, Missouri officials debuted 988, an emergency mental health hotline that connects callers to dozens of organizations around the country based on the caller’s area code. But advocates are concerned that the state has not committed to funding the hotline for the long term.

During the first month of a national mental health crisis line, calls to Missouri mental health centers have gone up 30%, state officials said. The three-digit 988 line routes all calls to suicide prevention hotline crisis centers.

In July, the U.S. transitioned from a ten-digit mental health hotline to a simpler number: 988.