Aetna Reduces Member Suicide Rate, Adolescents Behavioral Health Lagging

CVS Health is making progress toward its behavioral health goal of decreasing the suicide rate among Aetna members by 20 percent by 2025, but progress among adolescent members is lagging, the healthcare organization announced.

"Our members are not immune to the national suicide crisis reported by the CDC. Though we are on track lowering suicide attempts in adults, our goal will not be reached until we can say the same for adolescents," said Sree Chaguturu, MD, executive vice president and chief medical officer at CVS Health.

The organization has been working toward this goal since 2017, its work running parallel to that of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) which had the same goal.

As of March 2022, CVS Health saw suicide attempts among Aetna members drop by 15.7 percent when compared to the company’s 2019 rate.

CVS Health broke down the overall rate by age and found that the reductions were largely driven by decreases among members ages 18 and older. For individuals in this age range, suicide attempts dropped by 17.5 percent in 2021 and dropped another 34.1 percent through March 2022.

Having made progress toward the goal, however, the organization does not intend to slow down.

“We are doubling down on efforts to prevent suicide in teens by identifying those most at-risk and in need of intervention, reaching out to those discharged from the ER after a suicide attempt with resources and supporting parents and loved ones in prioritizing the mental health of their kids,” Chaguturu explained.

Specifically, Aetna saw an upward trend in suicide attempts among its adolescent members.

Members between the ages of 13 and 17 saw increases in suicide attempts. In 2021, the suicide rate among this population grew 43 percent. In the first three months of 2022, the suicide rate jumped another 32 percent.

"We are implementing evidence-based therapies and outreach programs to prevent suicidal ideation before it starts and get adolescents the clinical care they need when they are at risk," said Cara McNulty, president of behavioral health and mental well-being at CVS Health. "Every suicide attempt prevented, life saved, and mental health resource sought is an important step to reducing death by suicide in the United States."

The payer announced that it would be pushing resources toward its Adolescent Outreach Program, Caring Contacts program, and its partnerships with digital therapeutic companies that focus on suicide prevention.

The payer also indicated that collaboration with providers will be necessary to identify at-risk members.

The announcement follows CVS Health’s previous press release that heralded an expansion to tis Psych Hub program for adolescent suicide prevention. The Adolescent Treatment Training Series offers employee assistance program providers, licensed counselors, and other resources for suicide prevention. It seeks to educate providers about effective therapies and building provider-parent relationships.

The payer has been particularly leaning into its partnership with Psych Hub as it seeks to improve behavioral health among adolescents.

Research has indicated that payers can play an active role in stemming the mental and behavioral healthcare crisis among children and adolescents by covering preventive services, decrease stigma, and partnering with schools to improve education about mental and behavioral health.