ATLANTA (January 31, 2014) | Sen. Renee Unterman (R-Buford) sponsored Senate Resolution 760 on January 22, 2014, to commend the Suicide Prevention Action Network of Georgia, Inc. (SPAN-GA) and recognize their efforts to promote suicide prevention and awareness.
Sen. Unterman serves as the chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, which has worked with the Georgia Department of Health and Behavioral Disabilities (DBHDD) to fund and support SPAN-GA and other suicide prevention programs for several years.
“Unfortunately, the incidence of suicide has been rising, especially among young adults between the ages of 20-28. Suicide is preventable and is often the result of a long struggle with mental health issues. We must increase our suicide prevention efforts by acting quickly and doing more to educate Georgians about the impending signs and symptoms of depression and other mental health challenges,” said Unterman.
According to SPAN-GA, suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in Georgia, and the third leading cause in young people. Suicide also has a higher death rate than homicide in Georgia. It claimed over 1,100 lives of Georgians in 2011.
SPAN-GA has created effective suicide prevention coalitions throughout Georgia with the support of the Health and Human Services Committee and organizations such as the National Mental Health Association of Georgia (NMHAG) and the Georgia Department of Human Resources Division of Public Health.
For Immediate Release:
January 31, 2014
For Information Contact:
Jennifer Yarber, Director
Shawna Mercer, Sr. Communications Specialist
shawna.mercer@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028