This month, the Brain Injury Association of NH is raising awareness about issues that affect brain injury survivors, including the link between brain injury and suicide. According to the CDC, NH is 12th in the nation when it comes to people taking their lives. That means someone in NH dies by suicide almost every day; 35% above the national average. Certain people, including those living with brain injury, lifelong or acquired disabilities, veterans, first responders and police officers, are at a higher risk. According to the CDC, adults with disabilities were three times more likely to report suicidal thoughts. These disproportionate impacts on brain injury survivors led the Brain Injury Association to join with other disability organizations to form the NH Coalition for Suicide Prevention, a public/private partnership striving to enhance suicide prevention efforts with a focus on often overlooked vulnerable populations like persons living with disabilities.

We’re working alongside groups like the State Suicide Prevention Council. The NH Coalition for Suicide Prevention also plays an advocacy role, monitoring legislation that helps or harms the goal of zero suicides in NH. As executive director of the Brain Injury Association of NH, we applaud bipartisan efforts such as SB 85 which seeks to remove barriers such as pre-authorization requirements for emergency behavioral health services and would create a commission to study behavioral health crisis programs. The NH Coalition strives to create a help-seeking culture that supports at-risk individuals and reduces rather than increases the frequency of suicide in our society.

Steve Wade

Concord

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