New bill aims to help providers identify patients at risk for suicide

Legislation introduced in February may help healthcare providers identify young patients at high risk for suicide and self-harm.

The Child Suicide Prevention and Lethal Means Safety Act, sponsored by Representative Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.), comes as youth suicide rates increase dramatically in the US: Suicide rates for people ages 10 to 24 rose over 52% (from 6.8 to 11 deaths per 100,000 people) between 2000 and 2021, according to the CDC. 

“In recent years, we’ve seen alarming spikes in anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges among the nation’s youth,” Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who introduced the bill to the Senate, said in a statement. “We must do more to expand access to mental health care and prevent youth suicide. This bill is critical to doing that by providing more training and resources for youth suicide prevention initiatives.”

The bill, if passed, would require the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to fund programs that train healthcare providers to identify patients at high risk for suicide. It would also fund evidence-based suicide prevention practices, including lethal means safety, which involves limiting patients’ access to objects like sharp instruments and medications that could be used to self-harm.

The legislation would also require HHS to fund programs to connect at-risk patients to crisis resources and create an accessible, centralized hub with information on suicide prevention for kids and their families, medical schools, and healthcare providers.

The House has yet to schedule a date to vote on the legislation, which is backed by more than 30 healthcare organizations, including the American Hospital Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Public Health Association.

Youth suicidality became an increasingly prevalent issue during the pandemic.

For example, the number of emergency room visits for suspected suicide attempts increased 50.6% for girls between ages 12 to 17 in early 2021 compared to the same time period in 2019, according to the CDC.

“In the wake of the pandemic, and with the ever-increasing use of social media, our children are facing an unprecedented mental health crisis,” Representative Kim Schrier (D-Wash.), who introduced the bill to the House, said in a statement. “That’s why I’m proud to introduce this legislation, which would increase the number of medical professionals who receive suicide prevention and lethal means education so they’re equipped to save lives and improve children’s overall mental health care.”