September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

More than 47,500 people in the U.S. die by suicide each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Michigan, provisional data showed there were 1,282 deaths by suicide in 2020, but that number is expected to increase as more reports are finalized.

The primary reason for suicide is depression, according to the Hope for Depression Research Foundation.** It affects 1 in 10 adults in any given year.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is committed to helping its members cope with mental health issues, such as depression, as part of their overall health. “We want them to address mental and behavioral health issues early before they escalate, and potentially lead to suicide,” said Dr. Amy McKenzie, associate chief medical officer for Blue Cross.

That’s why we recently developed a Behavioral Health Campaign for members, including member emails, a behavioral and mental health website, advertising and more. We encourage health care providers to let patients know about the website and other resources about behavioral health and suicide prevention.

Here are several good resources:

• Blue Cross’ behavioral and mental health website — Located at bcbsm.com/mentalhealth, it’s a source of information about behavioral health and how members can get the support they need.
• Suicide Prevention Month Toolkit** — Includes posters, articles and videos about suicide prevention.
• Mental Health Awareness Employer Toolkit — Includes flyers, posters, articles and more on subjects ranging from how to help someone experiencing a mental health crisis to suicide warning signs.
• Primary Care Provider Toolkit** — Designed to help primary care providers address the needs of patients with mental health issues.
• Our corporate blogs — mibluesperspectives.com and ahealthiermichigan.org will feature blogs on a wide variety of mental health topics throughout September.

**Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan doesn’t own or control this website.