After two decades of rising suicide rates, the United States saw a notable 3 percent drop in 2024, marking the first significant decline in years. New data from the Trust for America’s Health shows the decrease held across nearly all demographic groups, translating to roughly 500 fewer deaths. But former federal health leaders warn that the very programs and workforce behind this turnaround are now being dismantled.
Dr. Allison Arwady, former director of the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, and Dr. Nadine Gracia, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health, argue this progress is fragile. “Progress doesn’t happen by accident,” they wrote, pointing to national, state, and community-level prevention programs funded by federal dollars that have driven the decline.
The CDC’s Essence program, which provides early warning data systems to detect suicide spikes, has helped communities in Louisiana and Tennessee deploy rapid-response resources, particularly for young people—for whom suicide is the second leading cause of death. Yet in 2025, the CDC’s Injury Center lost more than 200 staff, including suicide prevention experts. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) shed over half its workforce, including personnel supporting the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which has handled 23 million contacts since 2022 and reduced youth suicide mortality by 11 percent.
One critical insight from the National Violent Death Reporting System: roughly half of suicide victims had no diagnosed mental health condition at death. That underscores the need for prevention in workplaces, schools, and communities—not just clinical treatment. Programs like the Garrett Lee Smith Act grants, which fund suicide prevention on college campuses and in community organizations, faced cuts in early 2026 that were later reversed. The administration’s fiscal 2027 budget proposes cutting the CDC’s Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Program by more than half and eliminating the Adverse Childhood Experiences program entirely.
“Now is not the time to pull back,” Arwady and Gracia wrote. “Now is the time to double down.” They call for robust funding for the CDC Injury Center and SAMHSA, along with a specialized workforce and culturally targeted programs. Without sustained investment, the gains of 2024 could evaporate, leaving families who have lost loved ones to suicide facing renewed risk.
