Walnut Creek, CA – On Monday, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier announced the introduction of the Suicide Prevention Assistance Act (H.R. 7116), which establishes a new grant program at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to expand suicide prevention efforts for adults in doctor’s offices and other primary care settings.
“My father was a proud World War II Marine veteran who committed suicide on April 20, 1989, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. He gave no indication of the despair he was in nor did he seek my or anyone else’s help. Only half of all Americans experiencing major depression receive treatment, but 64% of people who commit suicide met with their primary care doctor within one month of taking their life. We should be integrating mental health screenings as part of primary care visits and intervening when necessary. The goal is to recognize the signs and get people immediate, on the spot help,” said Congressman DeSaulnier.
“The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the nation’s largest suicide prevention organization, thanks Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) for introducing H.R. 7116 to provide suicide prevention resources in primary care settings, one of our Project 2025’s critical prevention areas. We are grateful to have an ally like Congressman DeSaulnier to champion this issue; it is critically important that we increase resources in this arena. Our advocates have been calling on Congress to make suicide prevention a national priority – Congressman DeSaulnier listened, took action, and we hope his colleagues will follow his example,” said John Madigan, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Senior Vice President and Chief Public Policy Officer.
“Each year in the US more than 45,000 people tragically take their own life making suicide one of the leading causes of death across the nation. The Suicide Prevention Assistance Act fills a vital role in addressing this public health concern by providing primary care offices the tools and resources they need to effectively reach patients and provide them with the critical assistance they need,” said Colleen Creighton, Executive Director, American Association of Suicidology.
“Mortality from suicide in the United States now exceeds that for breast cancer and prostate cancer. In men ages 35 to 55 is actually increasing. We need to further develop effective strategies for suicide prevention and begin adopting them on a wider scale. Congressman DeSaulnier’s legislation is an important step toward that important goal,” said the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Specifically, Congressman DeSaulnier’s legislation creates grants to have an on-site mental health professional assist when necessary in primary care settings, helps connect patients with additional long-term mental health care, and requires SAMHSA to develop best practices for screening for self-harm and suicide prevention.
