Evaluation of Training in Identifying and Responding to Suicide Risk by Staff of a Behavioral Health Managed Care Organization

Abstract

uicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, claiming the lives of more than 45,000 individuals in 2020 at a rate of 14.2 per 100,000 individuals (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2021;Curtin et al., 2021;Hedegaard et al., 2021). Since 1999, suicide rates increased 35% (Hedegaard et al., 2021). For every reported suicide death there are 25 suicide attempts, and even more people have suicidal thoughts. It is estimated that 12 million adults had suicidal thoughts in the last reported year (CDC, 2021). Associated costs of suicide, which include medical expenses as well as lost work productivity, have been estimated at $70 billion nationally each year (CDC, 2021). In Pennsylvania (study state), the rate of suicide is even higher (14.1 per 100,000 residents), with estimated costs of $1.86 billion annually (CDC, 2021).