LifeStance Health Foundation Renews Partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to Advance Mental Health Research

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. and NEW YORK, Aug. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- LifeStance Health Foundation today announced it will award $100,000 to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) to extend its ongoing partnership, helping support clinical research to advance suicide prevention strategies.

In the partnership's inaugural year, LifeStance teammates participated in over 50 of AFSP's Out of the Darkness Walks to raise awareness and funds for suicide prevention across the country. Together, LifeStance Health Foundation and LifeStance teammates contributed over $170,000 to support AFSP's suicide prevention initiatives in 2025.

The need for continued research to better understand and prevent suicide has never been more urgent. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention¹, suicide was responsible for 48,824 deaths in 2024—roughly one life lost every 11 minutes. That same year, an estimated 14.3 million adults seriously thought about suicide, further highlighting the ongoing need for evidence-based solutions to address this public health crisis.

"Suicide prevention is one of the most urgent challenges in mental health today, and research is among the most powerful tools we have to better understand risk, improve interventions and save lives," said Dave Bourdon, CEO, LifeStance and Director, LifeStance Health Foundation. "We're proud to renew our partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and continue investing in the research that will help advance our industry's understanding of suicide risk, raise the standard of care and improve outcomes for people everywhere."

As part of the second-year partnership, LifeStance Health Foundation will again match LifeStance teammate donations to AFSP, up to $50,000. LifeStance teammates continue to form Out of the Darkness Walk teams to participate in AFSP's signature fundraising series kicking off this fall and bring awareness to the importance of suicide prevention across the country.

"We are very grateful to LifeStance Health Foundation for its commitment to support AFSP's research efforts, which inform every aspect of our suicide prevention work, including public awareness campaigns, policy and advocacy priorities and educational programs in communities, schools, workplaces and more," said Robert Gebbia, CEO, AFSP. "Our funded research also informs our work in healthcare, as we translate findings into initiatives and interventions that save lives."

About LifeStance Health Foundation
Established in 2021, LifeStance Health Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that focuses on funding interventional research to address the biggest areas of opportunity in mental health, including youth and early intervention, fragmentation and coordination and access and equity. LifeStance Health Foundation is endowed by LifeStance Health, one of the nation's largest providers of virtual and in-person outpatient mental health care for children, adolescents and adults experiencing a variety of mental health conditions. LifeStance and its supported practices employ approximately 8,500 psychiatrists, advanced practice nurses, psychologists and therapists and operate across 33 states and more than 550 centers.

About the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
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, X, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and TikTok.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and The Jed Foundation (JED) intend to merge as equals to form AFSP/JED, the nation's largest nonprofit dedicated to preventing suicide across the lifespan, and bringing hope to those affected by suicide loss or risk. The AFSP/JED mission would reflect a commitment to bring together AFSP's research, advocacy, chapter network, and loss-support expertise with JED's comprehensive approach to suicide prevention and evidence-informed youth mental health programs, creating greater scale, reach, and impact at a time of urgent national need. Read more about our recent announcement.

¹ https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/data/index.html  

SOURCE LifeStance Health