Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Surgeon General Issues New Report on Suicide Prevention

Aired May 02, 2001 - 10:40   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Some stark and somewhat staggering figures there about suicide. Suicide is in the spotlight for us this hour.

We topped this particular hour watching Dr. David Satcher, the U.S. surgeon general, make his announcement about a plan containing some 68 different recommendations to address suicide and bring it to a stop -- or at least reduce the numbers here in the U.S.

Let's go now to our Jeanne Meserve, who's standing by in Washington. She's got another look at all this.

Jeanne, good morning.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Leon.

Saying suicide is a preventable problem, Surgeon General David Satcher this morning laid out the first installment of a national strategy for reducing it. His is a wide-ranging plan with 11 goals and 68 objectives, including incorporating suicide screening in primary health care and encouraging insurance plans to cover mental health treatment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. DAVID SATCHER, SURGEON GENERAL: The goals and objectives lay out a framework for action and they guide development of an array of services and programs. They will provide direction to help us to modify the social infrastructure in ways that will affect the most basic attitudes about suicide. And they will also seek to change judicial, educational, social service and health care systems in this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MESERVE: Iris Bolton is in Atlanta, where she is a suicide aftercare counselor and executive director of the Link Counseling Center's National Resource Center for Suicide Prevention and Aftercare. Thanks for joining us.

When you look at the numbers, 30,000 suicides a year -- more suicides than homicides -- you have to ask, "Is this problem a growing problem?' IRIS BOLTON, LINK NATIONAL RESOURCE CENTER: Yes, it is a growing problem. And I think now that we are more aware of the problem, we are hopeful that it will decrease in numbers, that's our goal, certainly, to save lives.

MESERVE: Is one of the biggest obstacles in preventing suicide the stigma that's associated with it?

BOLTON: That's what we believe, because the stigma has been so enormous, people wouldn't talk about it at all -- admit that it happened in their families -- kind of like cancer used to be. People wouldn't talk about it or admit that a family member had cancer. Now, anybody admits it. There's no stigma.

There's still a stigma to suicide and so we're trying to say to people, as Jerry Weyrauch so eloquently did earlier that we invite survivors to own that this happened in their family. It certainly happened in my family in 1977. I lost a son, who was 20 years old, to suicide. And I started talking about it because you can live with the truth. You can't live with a lie. And so we have to do something to prevent it.

MESERVE: Does the health care system itself present some obstacles to prevention and treatment?

BOLTON: Absolutely, because people can't get treatment. Their health plan doesn't allow it or only allows a few visits. So we do have to change that. And that's what's in the surgeon general's report. So we're thrilled that he has made this a priority.

MESERVE: Iris Bolton, thank you so much for joining us this morning from Atlanta to discuss a very difficult problem with personal affect on you.

And now, Leon, back to you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com