AFSP Podcast Series Launches with New Conversations on Research, Health Equity and Suicide Prevention Strategies

NEW YORK, Dec. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), a leading suicide prevention organization, launched its official podcast channel, showcasing a variety of expert guests and exploring new trending topics focused on mental health and suicide prevention, the importance of research, and health equity, or the fair access to resources and care for all people. Guests on these podcast series have included comedian and voice actor J.B. Smoove, New Jersey Congress Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness expert and author Dr. Pierluigi Mancini.

Produced by Hueman Group Media, AFSP will have three podcast series and each shared in one hub, the AFSP Podcast Channel:

• Strong Talk, hosted by AFSP's Vice President for Health Equity and Engagement Vic Armstrong, discusses mental health and suicide prevention issues through the lens of health equity with mental health experts, advocates, and leaders.
• Ask Dr. Jill, hosted by AFSP's Senior Vice President of Research Dr. Jill Harkavy-Friedman, shares more about what we know through research about mental health and suicide prevention, and she answers common (and the tough) questions about the latest scientific research with help from other experts and leaders in the mental health and suicide prevention fields.
• Elevating Voices, hosted by AFSP's Vice President for Health Equity and Engagement Vic Armstrong and other AFSP leaders and clinical experts, is a roundtable discussion that brings together members of diverse communities to discuss their community's unique mental health challenges and strategies for solving them.

"Addressing different communities' unique lived experiences and challenges is the first step to understanding and preventing suicide using a health equity approach," Armstrong said. "By featuring guests from diverse communities, listeners can hear new perspectives and feel comfort and representation in the experiences of guests from these communities."

"Relaying complex research findings directly to the public can fall short because it's not always accessible or easy to understand," Dr. Harkavy-Friedman said. "Throughout this series, I'll be speaking with guests and answering questions on topics relevant to mental health and suicide prevention with research-backed information that is simplified and digestible so anyone can understand and learn about it."

Stay tuned for the upcoming Ask Dr. Jill episode airing December 10, featuring Robbie Torney, Senior Director of AI Programs at Common Sense Media, where Dr. Harkavy-Friedman will discuss teens and AI chatbot use. 

Follow AFSP on social media for the latest podcast updates and visit the AFSP Podcast Channel or any other major podcast streaming platform, so you don't miss the latest episodes.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide, including those who have experienced a loss. AFSP creates a culture that's smart about mental health through public education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, with its Policy and Advocacy Office in Washington, D.C., AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico, with programs and events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and TikTok.  

Media interested in speaking with AFSP on this news are encouraged to fill out this press request form and review AFSP's Ethical Reporting Guidelines.

SOURCE American Foundation for Suicide Prevention