A call to action during Suicide Prevention Month

By Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks

September marks Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day. It’s a time to not just raise awareness, but to renew our commitment to action.

As a veteran and a physician, I know firsthand the toll that stress, trauma, and invisible wounds can take. Too many of our servicemembers come home from war only to face a different battle, one of mental health, isolation, and despair. Veterans are at significantly higher risk for suicide than the general population. Every loss is a tragedy, and every life we save is a victory worth fighting for.

But this challenge is not confined to veterans. Corrections officers, who work in one of the most demanding and high-stress environments imaginable, face suicide rates nearly 40 percent higher than the general population. These are men and women who put on the uniform every day, step behind the walls of our prisons, and keep our communities safe, yet they carry burdens few ever see.

That’s why I introduced the Corrections Officer Blake Schwarz Suicide Prevention Act, named in honor of an officer we lost too soon. This legislation creates a program for confidential mental health screenings, early intervention, and outreach tailored to the needs of corrections officers. It is built on a simple belief: those who protect us deserve every resource and tool we can give them.

In Congress, I’ll continue working to strengthen suicide prevention programs for veterans, corrections officers, first responders, and all those at higher risk. We must reduce stigma, increase access to care, and make sure that help is available when and where it’s needed.

This month, I ask every Iowan to join me in remembering those we’ve lost, supporting those who are struggling, and reaffirming that suicide is not inevitable. With the right support and compassion, lives can be saved.

America is strongest when we stand together. That means investing in prevention, breaking down barriers to treatment, and ensuring no veteran, no corrections officer, and no family ever feels they have to fight this battle alone.