A warning. This next story discusses suicide, but it centers on an original idea for preventing it.

In the United States, suicide is one of the leading causes of death,

claiming more than 49,000 lives in 2023 alone, that according to the latest CDC data.

But one organization has found an unconventional tool to combat these grim

numbers, laughter. The group is called one degree of separation. It's made up of comedians who

hold sessions that start not with advice, but family-friendly jokes like these.

I actually really enjoyed growing up here, except for the part where I actually had to live here, you know?

I was in a date with this girl, and she was like, you're so tall and handsome.

How are you single?

And I was like, you'll see.

Brad Bonner, Jr. is the founder of the suicide prevention by comedy program,

One Degree of Separation. He joins us as part of our look at the intersection of health and art,

part of our arts and culture series, Canvas.

Brad, thank you so much for talking to us about this.

You know, traditional approaches to this area are very serious, very straightforward.

Why did you think comedy should get involved?

A big influence was the biography about Robin Williams that was done after he died by suicide.

And I kept waiting for them to talk about his depression or his suicide and then the documentary was over.

They don't even mention a word about it. And it upset me. I thought he would have talked about it.

I don't think he would have shied away from this as a topic. I wonder if I could get a group of

comics together that would just give a raw, real demonstration and conversation about what

depression looks and feels like.

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