The Youth Suicide Prevention Breakthrough We’ve Been Waiting For: The Sources of Strength Story | Ep 152

Overview

Crisis response saves lives, but if we want to change the tide of suicide, we need to go upstream.

Science That Changes the Game

In this powerful episode, Scott LoMurray, TIME100 Health honoree and CEO of Sources of Strength, shares how his organization has transformed youth suicide prevention through peer leadership, strength-based storytelling, and community-driven culture change. We unpack the evidence, the vision, and the movement that’s shifting suicide prevention from reaction to resilience.

Let’s talk about what makes this moment so extraordinary – not just for Sources of Strength but for all of us who care deeply about suicide prevention.

Two major, peer-reviewed research studies, including a gold-standard randomized controlled trial published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, have demonstrated that Sources of Strength is having a significant impact.

The data revealed almost a 30% reduction in new suicide attempts and even a decrease in suicide deaths in communities using this upstream, peer-led model. And here’s what makes it truly monumental:

This impact didn’t come from therapy. It didn’t come from crisis lines.
It came from cultural change.

Culture change here is deeply rooted in strengthening connections, empowering the community, and bolstering resilience before people ever reach a breaking point.

In a field where most of our funding, energy, and headlines still center around clinical treatment and crisis response, these studies are a wake-up call: Upstream prevention works.

Published in both the AJPM and BMJ Injury Prevention, these findings validate what many of us in prevention have long believed but struggled to prove—until now.

This isn’t just a big win for Sources of Strength.

It’s a significant win for hope, connection, and the idea that investing in community, belonging, and everyday strengths can help turn the tide on one of the most pressing public health crises of our time.

Join us for a deep dive into the mission to Empower a Well World, where mental health is nurtured through connection, culture, and collaboration, long before a crisis arises.

About Scott LoMurray

Scott LoMurray is a public health strategist, social enterprise leader, and CEO of Sources of Strength, an internationally recognized suicide prevention program grounded in the power of peer influence. Named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in Health in 2025, Scott’s work is reshaping the field through upstream strategies and strengths-based culture change.

He lives in Colorado with his wife and their three (objectively) adorable children.

Resources & References

Key Insights

  • Upstream prevention works: Recent studies show significant reductions in suicide attempts and fatalities in communities using Sources of Strength.

  • Strengths-based messaging and peer-led programs activate Social Network Theory to expand protective factors.

  • Mental health and resilience are more like exercise than inoculation—requiring ongoing engagement, rather than one-time interventions.