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It’s mental health awareness month: A free resource aims to prevent suicide

By Melissa Howell

May is mental health awareness month, and there’s a new push to remind people of a free resource that could help save lives.

The National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides vital resources for anyone who dials 988, but according to a Pew study, only about 13% of U.S. adults know it exists.

“We’ve become concerned about an increase in suicidal thinking and suicide attempts. This has gotten people’s attention, and it’s a tremendous concern,” said Dr. Bernard Arons, behavioral health medical director at Amerigroup DC.

He said that suicides have spiked over the last two decades, especially among youth ages 12 to 17, and 18- to 35-year-olds.

The study also highlighted a need for increased awareness about the lifeline service within minority communities.

“With the kind of support that people can reach out for through the 988 lifeline, we hope to have an impact on that throughout the country,” Arons stressed.

While the stigma around discussing mental health has been reduced, Arons hopes to remind people the goal is to create access to crucial services.

“We can now hopefully reduce the conditions people face when they do get depressed and unfortunately think about suicide,” he said.

Learn more about the suicide and crisis lifeline on the 988 Lifeline website.

Environmental Protection Agency boss backs big budget cuts but Congress will get the final say

By The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats accused the Trump administration of abandoning the Environmental Protection Agency's mission to protect human health and the environment at a congressional hearing Wednesday, slamming agency leadership over a proposal to cut its budget in half. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin's appearance before the Senate environment committee was his last of three budget hearings this week where he argued for sharply reduced funding for the agency, which already has seen its staffing reduced to its lowest level in decades under his leadership. During much of the week, the former Republican congressman from New York took an aggressive approach, responding to Democrats in the House and Senate with his own questions and at times accusing them of being unprepared or failing to care about the EPA’s track record. Zeldin has eliminated major climate change programs, promoted deregulatory efforts he calls the biggest in American history and canceled billions of dollars in Biden-era environmental justice grants to halt what he calls “EPA’s radical diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.” “This budget proposal captures significant efficiencies and a return focus on what Congress has directed us to do, demonstrating our commitment to a leaner, more efficient and accountable EPA" that directly benefits Americans, Zeldin told senators Wednesday.
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