With nearly 1 million suicide attempts per year in the U.S. and more than 32,000 lives lost annually, suicide has become a national health crisis that takes an enormous toll on families, friends, co-workers and the entire community. Since it's founding in 1987, AFSP has strived to better understand the causes of suicide and improve the identification and treatment of those who are depressed and suicidal. Since 2000, AFSP has invested more than $10 million in new biological, genetic and behavioral studies aimed at improving our understanding of why suicide occurs and how best to prevent it. AFSP is a leading supporter of this type of research and is currently supporting 70 studies.