The Surgeon General’s call to action to implement the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention

A Report of the U.S. Surgeon General and of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Implement the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (Call to Action) seeks to advance progress toward full implementation of the National Strategy, while taking into account the unique challenges and  opportunities of our times. Like the National Strategy8 (p. 8), this Call to Action is dedicated to the following: To those who have lost their lives by suicide, To those who struggle with thoughts of suicide, To those who have made an attempt on their lives, To those caring for someone who struggles, To those left behind after a death by suicide, To those in recovery, and To all those who work tirelessly to prevent suicide and suicide attempts in our nation. The Call to Action emphasizes that the 13 goals and 60 objectives of the National Strategy remain as relevant today as they were when the strategy was last updated. However, to truly make a difference in reducing suicide rates, these goals and objectives  need to be fully implemented. In particular, the Call to Action zeroes in on six key actions that must be implemented if we are to reverse the current upward trend in suicide deaths in the U.S.