Suicide Prevention Spotlighted at the State Capitol
April 6th, 2017 by Mike VasilindaThe Centers for Disease Control says suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States.
Today was Suicide awareness day at the State Capitol. Advocates, mental health professionals, and people who have been impacted by the suicide of a loved one spoke to lawmakers to raise awareness for the issue and help drive policy.
UF Psychiatry Professor and suicide prevention advocate Dr. Rajiv Tandon says succeed is especially preventable here in the sunshine state.
“Any given day on average, nine people in Florida die of suicide. Twice as many people die because of suicide as because of homicide and suicide is the second leading cause of death in the second decade of life” says Tandon.
Advocates say Florida does not spend enough on mental health for college aged students, but noted there are some improvements proposed in the Governor Rick Scott’s 2017 budget plan.
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