This Fall, Support Your Community’s Mental Health

This Fall, Support Your Community's Mental Health

988 is Available 24/7 to Provide Free, Confidential Crisis Support and Connection to Mental Health Resources in New York City

According to New Self-Reported Data, Youth Suicide Attempts Increased 5% from 2021 to 2023, With Persistent Disparities by Race and Gender

September 29, 2025 - As Suicide Prevention Month draws to a close, the New York City Health Department is encouraging New Yorkers to take action to support mental wellness for themselves and their neighbors. The Health Department offers a number of programs to support mental health and resilience as part of ongoing efforts to meet the HealthyNYC goal of reducing suicide deaths 10 percent by 2030.

Inequities in rates of depression and suicidal behaviors persist, with an increased prevalence among Latino New Yorkers, members of the LGBTQ community, and people living below the poverty level.

"Each New Yorker we lose to suicide is one too many. In a society that consistently prioritizes some communities over others, suicide data is increasingly reflecting those patterns as well. Everyone deserves support, especially at their most vulnerable moments. I encourage everyone to check in on the people they care about and to take advantage of the resources available like 988," said Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse. "Nobody needs to struggle alone."

According to newly released data, suicide-related behaviors including suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and feelings of sadness and hopelessness increased among New York City public high school students from 2015 to 2023. Between 2018 and 2022, there was an increase in the number of middle school students who reported feelings of sadness and hopelessness, nonsuicidal self-injury, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts.

While suicide rates in New York City remain half the national average, it remains among the top 10 leading causes of premature death. In 2022, about 13 percent of New York City adults surveyed reported having depression.

There are resources available through the Health Department to help address increasing reports of adverse mental health across the city, including youth. Social and economic stressors are shown to contribute to disparate mental health outcomes; the NYC Health Map includes a list of healthcare providers, insurance resources and connections to low-cost fresh food.

Mental health-specific resources include:

• Suicide prevention training for school nurses.
• Caring Transitions, in partnership with NYC Health + Hospitals, supports young people between 5 and 17 years old and their caregivers in the Bronx and Queens after presentation to the hospital for a suicide attempt, behavior, or serious suicidal ideation for up to 90 days.
• NYC Teenspace offers free virtual therapy for all 13- to 17-year-old New York City residents.
• Guidance for families and providers on discussing social media and mental health.
• Community Mental Wellness and Resilience Workshops are free trainings available in multiple languages to engage adults and teach skills to support individual and collective resilience, including how to recognize and prevent adverse mental health outcomes.
• Promoting Mental Health in Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Communities workshops teach the adults how to access culturally relevant mental health resources.

If you or someone you know, including a minor, is experiencing a mental health crisis or seeking connections to mental health or substance use services, call or text 988 to speak confidentially with a trained counselor, 24/7.

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