On Tuesday, September 29, 2020, the US House of Representatives passed the Effective Suicide Screening and Assessment in the Emergency Department Act which was promoted by the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA). Since the most patients with suicidal ideation are identified in the Emergency Department, and a 2018 study conducted by the ENA identified a deficit in suicide-risk assessment by emergency department care providers, HR 4861 provides a grant program within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that focuses on assisting ED in developing improved suicide risk screening protocols in an effort to save lives.
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US, claiming approximately 47,000 lives annually; also, there was a 31% increase in the suicide rate in the US between 2001 and 2007, according to the CDC and the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH). This year, COVID-19 has increased the risk of suicide and concern for mental health issues with more than 25% of young adults ages 18-25 years old indicating that at one point he or she had seriously considered taking his/her own life.
https://www.ena.org/press-room/articles/detail/2020/09/29/house-passes-ena-backed-legislation-to-enhance-suicide-screenings