Suicide Awareness Month Community 5K
Participate in a special community 5K run/walk on our Cook Campus in October to show your support and spread awareness.
Suicide Prevention Month
Together, we can make a difference.
Raising Awareness, Providing Support, and Ending Stigma
September is Suicide Prevention Month, and Rutgers Health is dedicated to raising awareness, providing support, and fostering a community of understanding and care. Suicide is preventable. Nine out of 10 people who attempt suicide will not go on to die by suicide. Additionally, suicide significantly affects healthcare workers, who face unique stressors and challenges in their profession.
Join us in our mission to prevent suicide and support mental health for all members of our community.
Our Commitment
Suicide affects us all. By raising awareness about its impact and knowing the facts, we can reduce the stigma associated with mental health issues and honor those we have lost. Rutgers Health is committed to providing access to comprehensive mental health resources, crisis intervention, and support services to ensure our faculty, staff, and learners never have to face challenges alone.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, due to a myriad of factors, healthcare workers have historically been at disproportionate risk of suicide. In a 2019 large-scale review of 60 studies, physicians were at a significant and increased risk of suicide, with female physicians facing an even higher risk.
Join Us
Rutgers Health faculty, staff, learners and residents are welcomed to join us throughout September for a variety of in-person and virtual events and activities designed to promote awareness, education, and community support. Highlights include:
Training Sessions
Learn how to recognize warning signs and provide support to those in need.
Discussion Panels and Workshops
Engage in open conversations about mental health and suicide prevention. There will also be opportunities to earn CME credits.
Upcoming Events
Thursday, September 19, 2024, 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. | Virtual Event
Friday, September 20, 2024, 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. | Virtual and In-Person – Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch
Wednesday, September 25, 2024, 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Thursday, September 26, 2024, 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. | Virtual Event
If you or someone you know is struggling, call, text, or chat online with a specialist from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. They are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911.
Rutgers Health offers a wide range of resources for employees, students and trainees, to support your mental health, including crisis intervention services, counseling and therapy, peer supports, and support groups.
How You Can Help
- Break the silence, save lives: Start conversations about mental health and suicide prevention and use destigmatizing language when talking about suicide.
- Be the hope: Spread awareness and offer support to those around you.
- Preventing tragedy: By raising awareness and providing support, we can save lives.
- Educate yourself: Learn more about mental health and suicide prevention with resources such as the preventing physician suicide report and medical student well-being toolkit from the American Medical Association.
Scholarship and Action
Rutgers researchers and experts are working every day to help expand our scientific knowledge of mental health and improve the well-being of our communities. Read about some of our recent efforts to better understand and prevent suicide.
