Stories about #RealConvo

Lifesaver symbols against a blue background

"These conversations are not easy, but are so necessary": The Impact of Suicide On Indigenous Peoples

In this recent video, AFSP Lifesaver Ambassador and Diné scholar charlie amáyá scott, Ph.D., calls attention to the impact of depression and suicide on Indigenous Peoples — and the power of having open, honest, and vulnerable conversations about mental health.

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Deepens Awareness of #TalkAwayTheDark and Launches New Guide to Have Difficult Conversations During Mental Health Awareness Month

This Mental Health Awareness Month, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is empowering people to have brave conversations about mental health, and to lean in and ask directly about suicide if struggles are not improving.

If Anyone Asks, This Was an Accident: Why We Have to Talk Openly About Suicide

If we are going to cut down on the alarming number of suicides, we need to let our friends and families talk about their suicidal thoughts without making them feel ashamed. We have to figure out a way to have these painful conversations, regardless of how frightened or hurt we may be to hear them.

Lessons from Suicide Research: One Man’s Road to Recovery

Much of what we’ve learned from the scientific research into suicide can be examined through the lens of individual experience. In this video, you’ll learn some of the fundamental lessons science has revealed about this leading cause of death.

Elizabeth Marshall standing with her daughter.

Teen Suicide Prevention: Helping Our Kids Help Their Friends

As a mom of two teen daughters, and a seasoned clinician, I worry that mental health concerns among youth are a growing trend... The Blueprint aims to support pediatric health clinicians in identifying strategies and partnerships to support children and teens at risk for suicide.

I Know You Think This Will Never Get Better

"I know you think this will never get better; it will only get worse. But I need to tell you something and I'm speaking from experience."

How AFSP Saved My Life Twice

I didn’t realize, then, how important that word would become to me: I was a survivor.

Research Video Spotlight: Don’t Be Afraid to Ask

Lisa Horowitz, M.D., MPH, from the National Institute of Mental Health, shares the finding that asking someone directly about suicide actually reduces the risk of an attempt.

Being the Boice – That’s Voice with an Accent – for the Voiceless

Have you ever felt discriminated against? Has anyone ever told you that you can’t do something because of who you are? Do you remember what and how you felt? Do you remember what you did?

How Will I Explain My Experience with Depression to My Son?

The following is an abridged version of an article comedian Chris Gethard wrote following the premiere of his acclaimed HBO special Career Suicide. The original article can be found here.

My Lived Experience

Melanie Figaro

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Reveals New Data on Mental Health in the Coronavirus Era

In recognition of May as Mental Health Awareness Month, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) shared new survey findings that reveal people experience anxiety (53%) and sadness (51%) more often now than before the coronavirus pandemic.