Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, who lost his father to suicide, and Representative John Lewis of Georgia have been leading political figures in this area. The goal of this conference was to help develop and advance the national strategies for suicide prevention and to explore ways to link research and practice so as to save lives. Together we must be committed to a public approach to suicide prevention. In the past two years, Dr. Satcher has been a leader in acting on that commitment and issued a national call to action to prevent suicide. As a nation we must recognize that the potential for suicide is all around us.
Suicide has no boundaries.
Suicide impacts both sexes, all age groups, ethnicity's, religions, sexual orientations and social classes. It occurs in families where abuse is present, but also in supportive and loving families. What is missing is awareness and understanding. The incidence of suicide is high for those abusing drugs and alcohol, but it is also high in elderly white males. Statistically, women have lower suicide rates than men, but that is little comfort to children growing up without a mother because she chose to end her life.