Scorecard for Addiction, Mental Health, and Suicide Priority Area of the AR State Health Improvement Plan

State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) 2021-2025

ADDICTION MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE

Mental health has a huge impact on how people relate to others, make decisions, and handle stress. A clear relationship exists between mental health issues and substance misuse. Each can lead to the other. In fact, one in four people with a serious mental illness also has a substance use disorder, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. In 2020, as part of the mental issue, suicide was among the top 9 leading causes of death for people ages 10-64 in the United States. Many factors can increase the risk for suicide or protect against it. The financial toll of suicide on society is also costly.

The national cost of suicides and suicide attempts is over $70 billion per year in lifetime medical and work-loss costs alone (- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane).

The ADH and its partners will address these issues by implementing interventions to lower suicide rates and the prevalence of tobacco, alcohol, and drug use (e.g., opioid) in Arkansas.