Large Reductions in Suicide Risk, Attempts and Deaths Demonstrated by Three “Real World” Studies in Primary Care

NORWALK, Conn., April 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The suicide rate in the US was at a more than 80-year high in 2022 with a leveling at this higher rate in the past three years. And a large majority of patients who die by suicide have visited a primary care provider in the prior year, with almost half having done so in the prior month. Clearly, primary care providers have access to people at risk for suicide and have an opportunity to play a role in suicide prevention – but they must be properly supported to identify and address suicide risk. A new report highlights recently-released studies showing the use of the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) or key elements of it in primary care effectively reduced suicidal thoughts and attempts.

The CoCM is an effective way to integrate behavioral healthcare, including substance use disorder treatment, into primary care practice.

“Shatterproof is proud to have been a leading voice for expanding coverage of the Collaborative Care Model in state Medicaid plans over the last several years,” said Kevin Roy, chief public policy officer, Shatterproof. “Collaborative care is a low-cost, evidence-based method that, in over 90 randomized controlled trials, has been shown to improve patient outcomes in a range of mental health and substance use conditions. Further, evidence shows that CoCM is effective in reducing total healthcare costs. We must do everything in our power to accelerate implementation of this model in primary care – the most ubiquitous existing care setting to help save lives.”

The report examines the findings of three studies that span a decade and show consistencies across different healthcare providers that implementing CoCM can reduce suicide risk.

The first study followed 3,809 patients flagged as being “at risk” for suicide, finding that 56% of these patients experienced a reduction in their suicide risk level. The study was conducted by Concert Health, a behavioral health organization providing CoCM staff and other services to primary care clinicians in 52 provider organizations across 16 states.

The second study found suicidal risk decreased in 52% of patients following implementation of CoCM, with rates of depression and anxiety also declining. This study was led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and included 368 patients “at risk” of suicide in 19 primary care practices across two states.

The third study, by Kaiser Permanente, found a 25% reduction in suicide attempts and deaths (combined) following implementation of key elements of CoCM in primary care across 19 practices in Washington. The study compared 228,255 patients receiving this intervention to a control group of 255,789 patients. Kaiser Permanente is now implementing all elements of CoCM throughout its eight markets.

“These studies confirm the value of the Collaborative Care Model for saving lives and helping people at risk for suicide,” states Jill Harkavy-Friedman, PhD, SVP of Research with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “At AFSP, we advocate for a healthcare system that is designed to ensure mental health is as important as physical health and that it is accessible to all. CoCM shows a viable path to strengthen our healthcare system toward this end. It’s time to embrace this model of care and CoCM can be a powerful tool in our public health response to suicide.”

CoCM Webinar
On May 8 at 2:00 PM ET, a webinar, Reducing Suicide Risk Through Primary Care: How the Collaborative Care Model can Help Save Lives, will be held to discuss this compelling data that supports the impact of this evidence-based intervention to reduce both suicide risk and total healthcare costs. Learn more and register here.

“We know that people with mental health and substance use disorders not only face steep hurdles in accessing care from specialists for these conditions but also generate substantially higher total healthcare costs,” said Henry Harbin, MD, advisor to The Bowman Family Foundation. “Barriers to accessing timely care can have devastating consequences for individuals with mental health and substance use disorders experiencing suicidal ideation. We now have evidence that CoCM delivered in primary care settings can play a significant role in reducing suicide risk while also reducing total healthcare costs for Medicare, Medicaid, employers and commercial insurers.”

John MacPhee, CEO of The Jed Foundation, a non-profit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for teens and young adults, added, “At The Jed Foundation, we’ve long recognized that meeting young people where they are is essential for effective mental health support. These compelling studies on the Collaborative Care Model validate what we’ve seen in our work with educational and community-based institutions – that integrated, accessible mental healthcare saves lives. By implementing the CoCM in primary care and family practices, we create more opportunities to identify and support those at risk, especially young people who might not otherwise seek specialized help.”

More About Collaborative Care Model
CoCM is a low-cost, evidence-based method of integrating the treatment of mental health and substance use disorders (MHSUD) care into primary care. Under CoCM, the primary care provider retains treatment responsibility for patients with MHSUDs, supported by a behavioral care manager and a psychiatric consultant. In addition to this integrated team approach, CoCM incorporates MHSUD screening and systematic symptom monitoring and the use of a patient registry. These features of CoCM improve access, early detection, early intervention, and effective treatment for patients with MHSUDs. CoCM provides a natural, practical solution to quickly close the gap between the need for MHSUD care and the capacity of the specialty MHSUD delivery system to meet this need.

Access the report: Large Reductions in Suicide Risk, Attempts and Deaths.

About Shatterproof
Shatterproof is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the addiction treatment system in the U.S. Shatterproof is focused on guiding society through the complexities of a substance use disorder; informing the public on prevention, treatment and recovery from addiction; and educating the public to reduce addiction stigma to ensure that people who use substances or have a substance use disorder can live healthy and fulfilled lives. Find Shatterproof on Facebook, X , YouTube and Instagram. To learn more, visit Shatterproof.org.

About The Bowman Family Foundation
The Bowman Family Foundation is a private foundation qualifying as 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The primary mission of the Foundation is to improve the lives of people with mental health and substance use conditions. The Foundation provided funding support for the studies conducted by Concert Health and the University of Pennsylvania. For more information, visit thebowmanfamilyfoundation.org.

Media contacts:
Cary Conway
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Kirsten Seckler
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