III 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 636 

Recognizing suicide as a serious public health problem and expressing support 

for the designation of September as ‘‘National Suicide Prevention Month’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 

Mr. CASSIDY (for himself, Mr. MURPHY, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. 

REED, Mr. DONNELLY, and Mrs. MURRAY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 

Labor, and Pensions 

OCTOBER 4, 2018 

Committee discharged; considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing suicide as a serious public health problem and 

expressing support for the designation of September as 

‘‘National Suicide Prevention Month’’. 

Whereas suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the 

United States and the second leading cause of death 

among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34; 

Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (referred to in this preamble as the ‘‘CDC’’), 

1 person dies by suicide every 12.3 minutes, resulting in 

nearly 45,000 deaths each year in the United States; 


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SRES 636 ATS 

Whereas, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, 

20 members of the Armed Forces on active duty, members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces who 

are not on active duty, or veterans die by suicide each 

day, resulting in more than 7,000 deaths each year; 

Whereas the suicide rate in the United States has steadily increased every year from 1999 through 2016; 

Whereas it is estimated that there are more than 1,100,000 

suicide attempts each year in the United States; 

Whereas more than half of individuals who die by suicide did 

not have a known mental health condition; 

Whereas, according to the CDC, many factors contribute to 

suicide among individuals with and without known mental health conditions, including challenges related to relationships, substance abuse, physical health, and stress regarding work, money, legal problems, or housing; 

Whereas, according to the CDC, suicide results in an estimated $44,600,000,000 in combined medical and workloss costs in the United States each year; 

Whereas the stigma associated with mental health conditions 

and suicidality hinders suicide prevention by discouraging 

at-risk individuals from seeking life-saving help and further traumatizes survivors of suicide loss and people with 

lived experience of suicide; and 

Whereas September is an appropriate month to designate as 

‘‘National Suicide Prevention Month’’ because September 

10 is World Suicide Prevention Day, a day recognized 

internationally and supported by the World Health Organization: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 


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1 (1) recognizes suicide as a serious and prevent2 able national and State public health problem; 

3 (2) supports the designation of September as 

4 ‘‘National Suicide Prevention Month’’; 

5 (3) declares suicide prevention as a priority; 

6 (4) acknowledges that no single suicide preven7 tion program or effort will be appropriate for all 

8 populations or communities; 

9 (5) promotes awareness that there is no single 

10 cause of suicide; and 

11 (6) supports strategies to increase access to 

12 high-quality mental health, substance abuse, and 

13 suicide prevention services. 

Æ 


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