Hill Event Highlights How Suicide Impacts Those Left Behind

Over the course of a few months, freshman U.S. Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.) went from the joy of being sworn in alongside a record number of women to the 116th Congress in January to the grief of learning that her partner, Kerry Acker, had died by suicide over Memorial Day weekend. Though she initially kept the details of the suicide to herself, Wild opened up during a late-night speech on the House floor a few weeks later. That speech triggered a tremendous outpouring of support—both in the halls of Congress and elsewhere—and spurred Wild to make mental health one of her top legislative priorities.

Last month, Wild hosted a roundtable discussion on Capitol Hill titled “The Rippling Impact of Suicide.”

“We all know the alarming figures about suicide, but today is about the survivors,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) as part of her opening remarks. The people left behind—people like Susan Wild—must deal with their grief and unanswerable questions like “What could I have done differently?”

Wild was joined at the session by suicide prevention researchers and advocates who brought a combination of professional expertise and lived experience. The panel included former NFL player Fred Stokes, who hosts a podcast dedicated to frank discussions on men’s mental health and well-being; artist and activist Dese’rae Stage, whose Live Through This project provides a portrait of suicide attempt survivors from across the country; Chris Maxwell, the communications coordinator for the American Association of Suicidology; and Paul Nestadt, M.D., an assistant professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University and member of APA.

The session was moderated by Mike Schlossberg, a Pennsylvania state representative in Wild’s district who has been open about his experiences with depression, anxiety, and suicidality.

A number of members of Congress with a strong interest in mental health policy also stopped in, including Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), Madeline Dean (D-Pa.), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Katie Hill (D-Calif.), Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.), and Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.)

The panelists and audience discussed a range of subjects, including suicide as a public health crisis, religion, and the ever-growing influence of social media in suicidal behavior. This last topic proved one of the most spirited, with panelists providing divergent (though not necessarily mutually exclusive) opinions that social media can be a contributing factor by providing youth with unrealistic images and expectations and/or protective by helping people in a minority group connect with peers when none might be available locally.

Though the opinions of the roundtable participants varied, there was consensus on the broader issue: It is important to have an open forum and talk personally about suicide and survivorship.

“Up to now, most of the battles [against suicide] have been private,” Nestadt said. “Usually it’s individuals trying to disentangle their feelings alone in bed or, if they’re lucky, with a psychiatrist.” By creating a national public discourse on how suicides impact families and communities, that discussion can become public, he continued. “Together, we can help provide more access to services for people who need help or reduce their access to lethal means.”

The roundtable discussion came on the heels of Wild’s introducing or sponsoring bills that aim to improve access to mental health care for families who have lost loved ones to suicide and preventing suicides.

The Greater Mental Health Access Act (HR 4428), which was introduced in the House on September 19, would create a provision that treats a suicide as a “qualifying life event” that allows surviving family members to enroll in or change their insurance outside of the typical open-enrollment period. Wild’s bill would also establish a competitive grant program to fund initiatives that provide mental health services and support to family and friends of people who died by suicide.

Wild is also a cosponsor of a bill that APA supports—the Mental Health Parity Compliance Act (HR 3165). The bill is based on APA’s model parity legislation, which is designed to require transparency and accountability from insurers and state regulators. The bill requires insurers to conduct and produce comparative analyses to show that they are, in fact, complying with the federal parity law and providing required access to mental health and substance use coverage. ■

The Greater Mental Health Access Act (HR 4428) is posted here. Information on APA’s model parity legislation and versions tailored for each state are posted here.