September is Suicide Prevention Month
Statistics, Resources, & Treatment
For BIPOC, LGBTQ+ communities, and those carrying intergenerational or collective wounds, the weight of systemic harm can intensify feelings of hopelessness or isolation. Suicide prevention is also about cultivating connections, belonging, and spaces where every part of a person’s identity and humanity is seen and honored.
In this article we cover:
- Free mental health and crisis support resources for anyone struggling with depression and suicidality
- The Realities of Suicide in Marginalized Communities
- Ketamine-Assisted Therapy and Suicidal Ideation
- Moving Toward Collective Healing
- Expanding Access Through Sage Integrative Health’s Community KAP Funds
- References / Sources
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or suicidal ideation:
📞 National Resources:
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988 — 24/7 confidential support
Trans Lifeline
877-565-8860 — Peer support by and for trans people
The Trevor Project (for LGBTQ+ youth)
1-866-488-7386 — 24/7 text, chat, and phone support
📍 Local Berkeley / Alameda County Resources:
Alameda County Crisis Support Services
24-hour crisis line, mental health response resources
🌐 crisissupport.org | 📞 1-800-309-2131
City of Berkeley Crisis Services / Mobile Crisis Team
Urgent and non-emergent mental health crisis response
- People of color experience higher rates of stress-related conditions due to racism, intergenerational trauma, and health inequities. For example, suicide is now the third leading cause of death for Black youth in the U.S., with rising rates over the last two decades. [1]
- According to the 2024 annual report by The Trevor Project, In California, 35% of LGBTQ+ youth considered suicide in the past year, and for trans & nonbinary youth, that number rises to 39%. In the same period, 14% of LGBTQ+ youth attempted suicide. Over half report symptoms of depression. [2] Studies show that nearly 40% of trans adults report having attempted suicide at least once in their lives. [3]
- 40% of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) LGBTQ youth seriously considered suicide in the past year, including 50% of AAPI transgender and nonbinary youth and 49% of Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian LGBTQ youth [4]
- In California, adults over 875 have one of the highest suicide rates of any age group, and older men are especially at risk. Many face compounding factors such as isolation, chronic illness, grief, and loss of social roles or independence. Because suicidal thoughts in older adults can appear as withdrawal, irritability, or hopelessness rather than overt crisis, they often go unrecognized and unsupported. [5]
- Activists, organizers, and caregivers often carry the burden of collective trauma, burnout, and grief from systemic injustice, which can intensify feelings of hopelessness.
Recognizing these contexts is essential. Suicide prevention must include both individual support and a broader commitment to dismantling the systemic harms that contribute to despair. Additionally, access to mental health care is a big barrier: many youth who consider suicide do not receive the support they need.
Ketamine-Assisted Therapy and Suicidal Ideation:
Many studies show ketamine rapidly reduces suicidal ideation within hours to 1 day. But often, the effect is temporary, with significant waning after several days unless further support or repeated dosing is provided. This emphasizes the importance of integrating psychotherapy into a ketamine therapy treatment plan [7]
In Sage’s integrative work with ketamine-assisted therapy, we have witnessed how this treatment, when held in the context of a safe relational container, can open doorways of possibility for those living with suicidal ideation, helping to shift intractable symptoms and reconnect with a sense of hope. We also understand these shifts are not a “magic pill,” but opportunities for reconnection with their own vitality, or feeling resourced enough to take the next step in healing.
Ketamine-assisted therapy may catalyze shifts that are most powerful when supported by integration through ongoing psychotherapy, bodywork, somatic practices, and connection with community. Through this integration, the nervous system can metabolize trauma and sustain change over time.
Moving Toward Collective Healing:
Suicide prevention is about supporting people to live fully in bodies, relationships, and communities that affirm their worth. It is about meeting each person in the fullness of their humanity, including the histories they carry and the dreams they long to live.
In addition to cultivating awareness and emphasizing the importance of therapeutic intervention, we hope to carve more pathways for access to mental health care at Sage. We recognize that the people most impacted by systemic harm are often the very same people who face the steepest barriers to care.
Expanding Access to Life-Saving Treatment Through Sage Integrative Health’s Community KAP Funds
If you are resourced to give, consider donating to our community funds through our Round Up Donations (if you are a current Sage client) or through Thank You Life (for a tax-deductible contribution). Your offering directly helps remove barriers to healing and expands access for those most impacted by systemic harm. [Link to our Donations page]
- Round Up Donations
- Thank You Life Link
- SAMHSA. (n.d.). Black Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/suicidal-behavior/prevention-initiatives/black-youth-suicide SAMHSA
- The Trevor Project. (2024). 2024 National Survey on LGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health. Retrieved from https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2024/ The Trevor Project
- Williams Institute. (2024). More than 40% of transgender adults in the US have attempted suicide – press release. UCLA. Retrieved from https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/press/transpop-suicide-press-release/ Williams Institute
- The Trevor Project. (n.d.). The Mental Health and Well-Being of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) LGBTQ Youth. Retrieved from https://www.thetrevorproject.org/research-briefs/the-mental-health-and-well-being-of-asian-american-and-pacific-islander-aapi-lgbtq-youth/ The Trevor Project
- California Department of Public Health. (2025). Suicide prevention for older adults: Fact sheet 2021. https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DCDIC/SACB/CDPH%20Document%20Library/Suicide%20Prevention%20Program/2021SuicidePreventionforOlderAdultsFactSheet_2025.pdf
- Meta-analysis: A meta-analysis of the effects of ketamine on suicidal ideation in depression patients. (2024). Translational Psychiatry. Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-024-02973-1 Nature
- Sakopoulos, S., et al. (2025). The Effects of Psychotherapy on Single and Repeated Ketamine Infusions. International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
