[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 159 (Wednesday, September 26, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H9082-H9083]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, September is Suicide 
Prevention Month, and almost every 12 minutes, an American dies by 
suicide.
  It is now the 10th leading cause of death in the United States of 
America. The Centers for Disease Control recently reported a 30 percent 
increase in suicide rates in the last 30 years, with nearly 45,000 
Americans taking their own lives in 2016.
  Mr. Speaker, suicide is preventable. Increasing access to crisis 
resources saves lives. Mental and behavioral health research saves 
lives. Ending the stigma surrounding suicide and reaching out for help 
saves lives.
  On average, one person dies by suicide every 4 hours in the 
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, according to

[[Page H9083]]

research from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
  There is no single cause of suicide, and suicide risk increases when 
several health factors and life stressors converge to create an 
experience of hopelessness and despair.
  But, together, we can reverse this course. By making mental 
healthcare, substance abuse treatment, and suicide prevention a 
national priority, we can reverse the tide on these deaths of despair.
  We will save lives, and we will do it together.

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