Every September, Suicide Prevention Month brings a flurry of hashtags, awareness walks, and online tributes. But here’s what often gets left out: suicide risk doesn’t peak during the holidays, as many believe; it actually climbs in the fall.
This seasonal uptick isn’t just anecdotal. A study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders found that suicide rates consistently spiked across September and October across multiple countries. And these aren’t isolated patterns, they show up year after year — after school starts, after summer routines dissolve, just as workloads intensify and social connection thin out. Vivian Chung Easton, a mental health clinician at therapist-enablement technology platform Blueprint, shares insights into how people can help drive more than awareness all month long.
You’re probably used to hearing that the holidays are a “hard time” for mental health. And they can be, but statistically, fall is more concerning. Some contributing factors may include:
It’s important to note that these shifts don’t cause suicide. But they do intensify risk factors — especially for people already struggling with mental health, chronic illness, trauma, or economic instability. According to the CDC, as of 2022:
Veterans are especially vulnerable. A 2023 report from the Department of Veterans Affairs found that suicide rates among veterans were a staggering 57.3% higher than those of nonveterans in 2020. This is not just a mental health crisis, it’s a public health issue.
In September, social media is filled with messages about “breaking the stigma” or “reaching out.” You’ll see PSAs, mental health hashtags, and maybe a few celebrity endorsements — which have their own merit.
The problem? Most of this messaging is vague, soft-edged, and low-risk, avoiding naming suicide outright. It rarely tells people the critical part of the conversation: how to help or what real prevention looks like. And it doesn’t address the barriers that prevent people from getting care. For example:
Suicide prevention requires infrastructure, training, and policies that make help available and effective. You don’t need to be a therapist to help. There’s no single solution to suicide prevention, but we know what doesn’t work: euphemisms, silence, and surface-level messaging. What’s helpful is to be willing to ask questions, listen without flinching, and guide someone toward support.
If you’re worried about someone, take changes in their words, behavior, or mood seriously. Not everyone shows obvious signs, and some mask their distress. Mental health clinician Vivian Chung Easton shared some patterns to watch for:
Changes in what they say
Shifts in behavior
Mood and demeanor changes
Context matters. These signs may not always mean someone is suicidal, but if they appear together, intensify, or feel out of character, it’s time to check in. You don’t need to have the “perfect” words; your willingness to notice and ask can interrupt a dangerous spiral.
Here’s what to do:
If you're in a position of influence, like HR, education, healthcare, or faith leadership; consider getting trained through programs like QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) and Mental Health First Aid, which teach everyday people how to spot signs and intervene — which can be especially useful in rural or under-resourced communities. But no matter where you are, the ability to spot risk and respond early saves lives.
We talk about seasonal changes all the time: migraines, allergies, back-to-school anxiety. Now it’s important to talk about suicide the same way: as something shaped by our environments, relationships, and access to care.
The numbers back it up: Fall is a high-risk time. But it’s also a time for intervention. Kids are returning to school. Workplaces are ramping up. People are reconnecting after summer. This is the moment to ask better questions, to build stronger safety nets, and to push for better systems.
Because suicide prevention doesn’t start with awareness, it starts with action.
This story was produced by Blueprint and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
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