In light of Robin William passing, much attention has been drawn to the topic of suicide and depression. Teen suicide is the third leading cause of death among the age group ranging from 15-25 according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention. For these reasons, availability of resources for those in need of it is becoming more accessible. Some of these national prevention efforts include school education programs, setting media guidelines in an effort to reduce the repercussions of news stories reporting suicides, and screening programs (American Psychological Association). Below is a list of several websites available to help educate people on the matters of suicide, on getting help, and more.

Knowing the warning signs of suicide can help in the long run by being able to identify those who are burdened with detrimental self thoughts. To learn some of these common warning signals visit the following website: https://www.save.org/index.cfm?page_id=705F4071-99A7-F3F5-E2A64A5A8BEAADD8&r=1&CFID=10285660&CFTOKEN=70fc8ce2bed53bad-8AF6E452-C29A-2288-2110AD027F33CA0A

Once noticing warning signs of depression or suicidal thoughts it can be hard to know what the next step to help them would be. By visiting http://www.helpguide.org/mental/living_depressed_person.htm information can be gained on understanding what they are going through individually and how positive help can be given to them.

Coping with suicidal thoughts or depressive symptoms demands help and should not be dealt with alone. The National Suicide Prevention Hotline was developed for individuals struggling and no matter what the reason may be there is a trained counselor at a crisis center available to talk to 24/7 by calling 1-800-273-TALK. For more information about what happens during a phone call to the hotline and for information on other beneficial people to call in times of need visit www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

Suicide is a complicated matter and understanding it can be challenging especially for those who have dealt with it firsthand. For information on how to cope with the loss of someone from suicide, how to get involved in suicide prevention and awareness, and to gain more of an understanding of the subject visit this website: https://www.afsp.org/.