Mental health exec: Florida must remain vigilant on suicide prevention as a state priority
This past week marked a couple of important — and sadly related — observances for those of us in the behavioral health community. Aug. 31 was International Drug Overdose Awareness Day and Sept. 1 is the beginning of National Suicide Awareness Month. These annual observances too often have more in common than timing.
While we know drug overdoses have been at record levels for years, recent data released from the CDC suggest Americans are also dying by suicide at higher rates than ever before — and Floridians are committing suicide at higher rates than the national average. This new data from 2022 makes suicide among the top 10 leading causes of death in our state for the first time.
Suicide and drug addiction are complicated issues without easy solutions. However, we know they are both largely driven by higher rates of depression and isolation.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, first lady Casey DeSantis and our Florida legislators have dedicated significant new resources to help fight the dual epidemics of opioid addiction and mental illness we’ve been battling. Our state leaders understand the connection between these problems as well as the effectiveness of community-based responses.
We’ve made progress in fighting both epidemics. This year’s launch of our 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline was a huge step forward. The governor’s Coordinated Opioid Response program, also known as CORE, is making positive impacts with prevention in local communities. While suicide remains a leading cause of death among those under 24, we’re reducing the rates among youth.
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Yet, in some populations, including adults over 45 and seniors over 65, suicide rates continue to rise.
Despite significant steps taken by state leaders, Florida remains among the states with the lowest per capita spending on mental health. We’ve begun diverting those struggling with addiction and mental health issues from jail by using co-responder programs and we’ve learned how to use those who’ve overcome addiction as peer counselors to help others still struggling.
Directing increased mental health resources to proven, innovative community-based solutions is the best way to fight this battle. According to both the CDC and Florida Department of Health, more than 50,000 Floridians will die this year from either drug overdose or suicide. These tragic deaths are preventable and we know how to prevent them. We must remain vigilant and focused on this important statewide priority.
Dr. Christine Cauffield, CEO, LSF Health Systems
This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Drug overdose and suicide are complicated sides of the same coin
