September is Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month
About the Maternal Suicide Awareness Campaign
2020 Mom launched the Maternal Suicide Awareness Campaign in 2018 to remember moms lost to maternal suicide, and to raise awareness about maternal suicide, one of the leading causes of maternal mortality. For years there were misconceptions about pregnancy and the postpartum period being protective against depression and suicide. We know now that this simply isn’t true and it’s time to raise awareness about maternal depression and psychosis, leading causes of maternal suicide.
Learn more about the moms who have lost their lives to maternal suicide here.
Maternal Suicide Awareness Week Campaign 2020
There were two parts to the campaign:
#KnowMomFacts Social Media Awareness Campaign
September 7-11, 2020 – 2020 Mom shared Maternal Suicide Awareness facts and resources on social media: Facebook: @2020mom, Twitter: @2020MomProject, Instagram @2020_Mom, and LinkedIn @2020Mom#MomsAreNotImmune Remembrance Virtual Candlelight Vigil
At sunset, Thursday, September 10, 2020.
Our 3rd annual Maternal Suicide Awareness Campaign was seen by over 1 million people on social media. That's double the exposure we had last year. We shared messaging that shed light on risks and facts about maternal depression and psychosis, leading causes of maternal suicide, in an effort to raise awareness and combat the stigma and shame of Maternal Mental Health disorders.
Partners
Thank you to all who participated in the 2020 campaign. Here's a sampling of the posts:
The Remembrance Vigil
#MomsAreNotImmune Remembrance Vigil
We encouraged everyone to share with their social network and participate in the Remembrance Vigil on Thursday, September 10, 2020, by posting a picture of them lighting a candle at sunset using #MomsAreNotImmune.
Katie Crenshaw, TheBlueDotProject’s 2020 Spokesperson, and Steven D’Achille of the Alexis Joy Foundation, hosted the vigil and lit candles to honor Steven's wife and all of the mothers lost to maternal suicide. While watching we encouraged viewers to read the names of the mothers lost on our Remembrance Wall.
The vigil was broadcasted on Facebook Live and on the 2020 Mom IGTV channel.
Suicide Prevention Awareness Week
National Suicide Prevention Week (September 5-11, 2021) is an annual campaign hosted by the American Association of Suicidology in the United States to inform and engage health professionals and the general public about suicide prevention and warning signs of suicide. Learn more here.
Other Ways to Be Involved:
Consider wearing your purple ribbon and blue dot button during Suicide Awareness Week or Maternal Suicide Awareness Day or just wear a blue dot button. Take a picture of yourself wearing the ribbon and/or blue dot and tag 2020 Mom.
Get your blue dot button here.
About World Suicide Prevention Day:
World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) is an awareness day observed on September 10th every year, in order to provide worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides, with various activities around the world since 2003. The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) collaborates with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) to host World Suicide Prevention Day.