As a young child, Kade Arthur struggled with his family. Kade was born deaf and had many problems with his biological parents because of it. He experienced many traumatic events in his early childhood and left his home with his biological parents. Eventually, Kade was put up for adoption and was adopted by Amanda and Kraig Arthur when he was four years old, joining a loving family in Jenks, Oklahoma. Kade Arthur was an incredibly talented athlete who played lacrosse and football. But he was an even better person. As Kade grew up, he experienced even more adversity, struggling with issues related to his hearing impairment and his race. Justin “Kade” Arthur took his own life on January 18, 2026, two months before he reached eighteen years old. Kade’s demons won, and he lost his fight. Suicide is a global epidemic that needs to be stopped by creating safer environments, giving people the resources they need to get help, and increasing awareness of warning signs.

     Suicide is an extremely complex and difficult thing for people to understand. There are many causes for suicide, including depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. Every year, over 700 thousand people take their own lives worldwide, “Every year 727 000 people take their own life and there are many more people who make suicide attempts” (WHO, 2025, p. 1). Suicide affects all people from all kinds of places. It affects individuals, families, and communities. Knowing the risk factors and warning signs can greatly help prevent someone from taking their own life. Increasing awareness can help diminish the stigma around suicide and mental health and create a better place for everyone.

     Depression can cause extreme emotional pain while also causing people to think and act irrationally, building up feelings of helplessness and worthlessness. It causes people to start believing that the only way to escape from all of their problems is to take their own lives. Depression is the leading cause of suicide, and with this mental health disorder, people experience sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy. The Better Health Channel goes on to list risk factors of suicide, “expressions of hopelessness or helplessness”, “a lack of interest in things previously important, and the future”, and “a dramatic change in personality or appearance, or irrational or bizarre behaviour” (Better Health Channel, 2012, p. 4). Depression makes a person feel as if there is nothing in the world that makes them happy anymore. This disorder especially causes people to want an escape, leading to negative or suicidal thoughts.

     Anxiety is another mental health disorder that leads to suicidal thoughts. Anxiety can stem from all kinds of things and lead to more problems. Anxiety is a mental health condition that causes intense feelings of fear, worry, or nervousness, “An emotion characterized by apprehension and somatic symptoms of tension in which an individual anticipates impending danger, catastrophe, or misfortune” (American Psychological Association, n.d., p.1). Anxiety is caused by things like stressful situations, genetics, trauma, and many other factors. Anxiety can become extremely serious and intense. While it may not be a leading cause of suicide, 70 percent of individuals who have reported attempts to take their own life also had an anxiety disorder, “the presence of an anxiety disorder was significantly associated with having made a suicide attempt (AOR=1.70, 95% confidence interval” (Nepon, 2010, p. 3). Anxiety amplifies other factors and makes people feel even worse, it can significantly increase the risk for suicide.

     Another factor that contributes to suicide is substance abuse. Amongst other leading causes, substance abuse follows closely behind depression. Substance abuse can impair a person's decision-making, judgment, aggression, and impulsivity, “Drugs and alcohol significantly impair cognitive function and decision-making, altering the way the brain processes information and assesses risks” (Greater Boston Addiction Centers, n.d., p.1). It can also reveal or expose a person’s mental health disorder. There are all kinds of ways that substance abuse leads to suicide. A mental health disorder could be revealed through substance abuse, substances could be used to take one’s life, or substances could be used as an escape from a mental health disorder, leading to suicide.

     Men take their own lives at a much higher rate than women. In the United States, men are four times more likely to take their own lives, “Suicide-related deaths were four times higher among males (38,977) compared to females (9,847)” (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, n.d. p. 3). This is because of the stigma revolving around men's mental health. Men are taught to be tough and not show their feelings. There are expectations of men to be strong, independent, and stoic. When men do show emotion, they are seen as weak or feel as if no one cares. This leads to men bottling up their emotions and not being able to express how they are feeling. These things can lead men down the wrong path, the path to mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, or even PTSD. These mental health disorders help contribute to suicidal thoughts and actions revolving around those thoughts.

     Understanding the best ways to prevent suicide is essential for promoting mental health and saving lives. Creating a safe environment can help stop suicide at its core, “Reduce access to lethal means among persons at risk of suicide, create healthy organizational policies and culture, reduce substance use through community-based policies and practices” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024, p. 4). Giving people the resources to get the support they need can greatly help individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts, “Cover mental health conditions in health insurance policies, increase provider availability in underserved areas, provide rapid and remote access to help, create safer suicide care through systems change” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024, p. 5). Spreading awareness of suicide and mental health, as well as teaching warning signs, encourages outside individuals to help those experiencing suicidal thoughts, “Identify and support people at risk, train gatekeepers, respond to crises, plan for safety and follow-up after an attempt, provide therapeutic approaches” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024, p. 8). All of these options can be a suicide solution, but those changes have to be made for lives to be saved.

     Suicide affects all kinds of people from all aspects of life. It affects every age, every race, every gender, and every background. Not only does it affect individuals, but it also affects those individuals' families and communities. Suicide is a global epidemic. By creating safer environments, giving people the resources they need to get help, and increasing awareness of warning signs, society can help prevent suicide and save countless lives.