Here’s how Warren, Sanders and other 2020 Dems want to prevent suicide

Earlier this summer, some of the nation’s most prominent mental health groups teamed up to survey candidates about their mental health policy ideas, including how they plan to curb U.S. suicide rates. This morning, they released the answers from the five candidates who responded: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and South Bend, Ind. mayor Pete Buttigieg. 

Sanders gave the most comprehensive response to a question about suicide prevention, detailing a plan to expand access to community health centers, recruit more mental health providers in underserved areas, and build out the VA's mental health services. Booker emphasized the need to reduce access to guns among people at high risk of suicide. And Klobuchar said she wants to invest in more local and state suicide prevention efforts — and would focus specifically on programs tailored to veterans, farmers, LGBTQ people, and tribal communities. 

STAT’s Megan Thielking has more on the suicide prevention proposals here, or find the full responses from the candidates here.