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      Suicide prevention

      We’re committed to reducing suicide attempts.

      A person sits by the seashore, sitting on rocks, holding a mobile telephone.

      Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death overall in the United States, and the second leading cause of death* among individuals between the ages of 10-14 and 25-34, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

       

      As part of our commitment to mental health and well-being, we are in our fourth year of implementing a comprehensive strategy to reduce suicide attempts 20% among Aetna® members by the year 2025. At the end of 2023, Aetna saw a 16% reduction in suicide attempts among their adult commercial members compared to the baseline year 2019. With the right intervention and support, resources and management, suicide is generally preventable. In fact, 90% of people who die by suicide have a potentially treatable mental health condition.

      A teenage boy slouches in a chair next to his bed while he uses his cell phone.

      Enhanced screening and safety planning for suicide prevention

      Aetna, a CVS Health® company, uses suicide prevention screening and safety planning for all members seen by clinical staff, even if they are not presenting as “at risk.” Aetna also offers several specialty suicide risk-reducing evidence-based programs as an available outpatient resource.

      Caring Contacts during vulnerable moments

      When Aetna members have been discharged from an inpatient or emergency department setting after a suicide attempt or having thoughts of suicide, Aetna sends Caring Contact postcards to touch base with the member. These postcards let members know they are valued, and that support and resources are available to them. The postcards are signed by an Aetna clinician to remind members that personal connections exist.

      Aetna expanded Caring Contacts to its student health population through text messaging and email. The program has also been adapted for adolescents who have been discharged from an inpatient or emergency department stay after a suicide attempt or having thoughts or suicidal ideation, sending them a care bag with self-care items such as a soft blanket, a journal and a multi-color pen, as well as inspirational messages.

      Supporting practitioners in suicide prevention

      Through a partnership with Psych Hub, a customized suicide prevention training, support and CE qualification program became available to all Behavioral Health clinical staff, including CVS MinuteClinic® therapists.

      Aetna works with SafeSide, an organization dedicated to mental health education, to train primary care physicians, medical practices and their staff in identification and early intervention for patients at risk of suicide. Aetna has also provided a grant to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) in support of their Blueprint for Youth Suicide Prevention which serves as a strategic plan to engage pediatricians, adolescent medicine specialists and other care providers in youth suicide prevention in clinical and community settings.

      A key component of this effort is the ECHO suicide prevention training opportunity for pediatric medical offices in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics.

      Unique outpatient suicide treatment programs

      Aetna members have access to a clinical outpatient risk reducing suicide care program with Vita Health whose evidence-based therapies and intervention have been shown to reduce suicide attempts by up to 60% in clinical trials. VitaHealth’s dedicated suicide prevention program  includes an intensive series of telehealth sessions with specially trained, licensed clinicians who are subspecialists in suicide prevention along with use of a proprietary app offering a unique cognitive behavioral risk reduction therapy.

      Vita Health also offers  a youth nominated support program for members nationwide. The program, which has shown significant mortality reductions in youth, allows adolescents and young adults to nominate adults from their family, school, or community to serve as a support person. Together the adolescent and the nominee meet with a mental health professional who provides personalized educational sessions and coaching about mental health, treatment plans, suicide risk factors and how to access services.

      A woman looks out a sliding glass door while holding a cup of coffee.

      Suicide prevention resources addressing unique needs

      CVS Health and Aetna have developed targeted resources and programs to address unique mental health concerns and needs, with particular focus on adolescents and young adults, LGBTQ+ and Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), and older adult communities.

      Aetna also collaborates with the Trevor Project which is devoted to mental health and suicide prevention in the LGBTQ youth communities.

      Additional resources

      In partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), the nation’s largest suicide prevention organization, Aetna offers Talk Saves Lives™: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention. Aetna makes this program available as both  an online, interactive training for Aetna members, and also as a live instructor led webinar facilitated by individuals qualified by AFSP to offer their program.  The webinar offering is available to employers by request.

      Aetna partners with the JED Foundation, which focuses on suicide prevention for youth, with specific efforts in the BIPOC youth community. In collaboration with Aetna, the foundation has created a quick, easy-to-use guide (PDF) to increase high school educators’ knowledge and comfort in navigating teen mental health situations and conversations.

      Because substance use disorders are often linked to suicide, Aetna supports Shatterproof, a nonprofit organization that elevates evidence-based addiction practices and makes the information available to consumers, providers and payors.

      If you require mental health support or are thinking about suicide, know someone who is, or need to talk with someone, we encourage you to immediately dial 988. You can also continue to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. For additional mental well-being information, visit Psych Hub or Mental Health America.

      • *FOR SECOND LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Leading Causes of Death. 2021. Available at: https://wisqars.cdc.gov/lcd.