As Suicide Prevention Awareness Month continues through September, the Marblehead Counseling Center is reminding residents that help is available — and that prevention often begins well before someone reaches a crisis point.
“Suicide prevention actually starts before a mental health crisis,” said Gregg Mulford, the center’s clinical director and a licensed mental health counselor. “This is a great time to learn about warning signs and connect people to vital mental health resources.”
Mulford said underlying mental health conditions, including depression and other mood disorders, can increase a person’s risk of suicide. That risk can also be connected to experiences such as child abuse, bullying, and sexual violence.
Other risk factors include previous suicide attempts, alcohol or drug misuse, access to lethal means, social isolation, chronic illness or disability, and limited access to behavioral health care, according to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center.
Knowing someone who died by suicide, particularly a family member, can also increase a person’s risk.
At the same time, connections to family and the community, access to health care and mental health services, healthy coping skills, and a sense of purpose can help protect people who may be struggling.
“We have a lot of tools to fight this crisis,” Mulford said.
Nearly 49,000 people died by suicide in the United States in 2024, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An estimated 14.3 million adults seriously considered suicide that year, while 4.6 million made a plan and 2.2 million attempted suicide.
The suicide rate among men was nearly four times higher than the rate among women, and firearms were the most commonly used method. Adults 80 and older had the highest suicide rates in 2024, while American Indian and Alaska Native people experienced substantially higher rates than other racial and ethnic groups.
Suicide was also the second-leading cause of death in 2023 among people ages 10 to 34. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 41% of LGBTQ+ high school students have seriously considered suicide.
Mulford said access to trained mental health professionals remains one of the most important protective factors. Massachusetts ranked sixth nationally for overall access to mental health care and fourth for youth access in Mental Health America’s 2025 “State of Mental Health in America” report.
“We are so lucky to have access to quality mental health programs in our community,” Mulford said. “MCC has been providing mental health services for almost six decades, but we are certainly not alone. Mental health and wellness is taken very seriously in Massachusetts.”
Other protective factors include strong relationships with family and community members, problem-solving and coping skills, the ability to adapt to change, self-esteem, and cultural, religious, or personal beliefs that discourage suicide.
Residents can participate in International Suicide Prevention Day on Thursday, Sept. 10, through the International Association for Suicide Prevention’s annual Light a Candle initiative. Participants are encouraged to place a lit candle near a window at 8 p.m. local time to remember those who died by suicide, support those affected, and demonstrate a commitment to prevention.
The North Shore Out of the Darkness Walk will also take place on Oct. 4 in Newburyport as part of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s national fundraising campaign. A second walk is scheduled for Oct. 25 on Boston Common.
“Anything we can do to raise awareness about suicide prevention is a win for us all,” Mulford said.
Anyone experiencing a mental health or suicide crisis can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. In an immediate emergency, call 911.
