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September 2019 is National Suicide Prevention Month
By Melissa Martin, PhD
The American Association of Suicidology makes available a summary of
national suicide statistics as soon as they become available from the
National Center for Health Statistics.
According to 2017 data, an average of 1 person every 11minutes killed
themselves (1 male every 14 minutes, 1 female every 51 minutes).
www.suicidology.org.
All month, mental health advocates, prevention organizations,
survivors, allies, and community members unite to promote suicide
prevention awareness. www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
“Suicidal thoughts, much like mental health conditions, can affect
anyone regardless of age, gender or background. In fact, suicide is
often the result of an untreated mental health condition,” according to
the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). www.nami.org.
Youth Suicide
Young people are experiencing the emotional pain of hopelessness and
helplessness. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth
aged 10-19 years in the U.S. That statistic is alarming to me.
The Jason Foundation, Inc. (JFI) is dedicated to the prevention of the
“Silent Epidemic” of youth suicide through educational and awareness
programs that equip young people, educators/youth workers and parents
with the tools and resources to help identify and assist at-risk youth.
Jason’s father wrote the following on the website: “Jason was my
youngest son. He was an average 16-year old. He got mostly B’s on his
report card, and he loved sports. Especially football. He was active in
his youth group and he had a lot of friends. Jason was the one who was
always up for going places and trying new things. From all
appearances…my son loved life. But on July 16th in 1997, everything
changed. My son, Jason became a statistic of the “Silent Epidemic” of
youth suicide. In trying to come to terms with what happened, I began
researching youth suicide. The statistics are very alarming. Did you
know that on average, over 100 young people this week will become
victims of youth suicide?” www.jasonfoundation.com.
Suicide in the Military
According to a 2019 report by the Defense Suicide Prevention Office,
325 active-duty members died by suicide in 2018: 139 active-duty
soldiers, 68 sailors, 60 airmen and 58 Marines. www.military.com.
A 2019 article in Stars and Stripes reported that 78 airmen, spread across the entire Air Force,
died by suicide in 2019. And the year is not over.
This month the Marine Corps will highlight prevention efforts, promote
resources and support services, and engage Marines and families in an
awareness campaign that will promote community connectedness and
belonging. www.usmc-mccs.org
If you are a Veteran in crisis — or you’re concerned about one — free,
confidential support is available 24/7. Call the Veterans Crisis Line
at 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, send a text message to 838255, or chat
online.
Suicide and Ethnicity
Suicide prevention is a high priority for people working to promote
wellness and reduce health disparities affecting American Indians and
Alaska Natives (AI/AN). Drawing on strengths within Native traditions,
community leaders and experts are developing models that are culturally
based to promote mental health and prevent suicide for future
generations. www.sprc.org.
Suicide in Ohio
There were 15,246 suicides deaths in Ohio over a 10-year span (2008 to
2017), for an average annual rate of 13.3 deaths per 100,000 people,
according to a 2019 article in The Columbus Dispatch.
Rates also increased 80 percent among children 14 and younger and 57
percent for Ohioans 60 and older, according to The Ohio Alliance for
Innovation in Population Health. The Alliance is a statewide
collaboration of academic institutions, service providers and public
policy leaders to improve the health of all Ohioans. The Alliance was
created by Ohio University and the University of Toledo in 2017.
Resources
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available at 1-800-273-8255
or by texting “START” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741.
Resources in Ohio
“Because kids don’t wear their thoughts on their sleeves, we don’t know
what they might be going through.” That’s why Nationwide Children’s
Hospital in Columbus, Ohio launched On Our Sleeves to build a community
of support for children living with mental illness through advocacy,
education and fundraising for much-needed research. For more
information about children’s mental health and to help break the
silence and stigma around mental illness, visit
www.nationwidechildrens.org.
The Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation (OSPF) uses the public health
model to prevent suicide across the state. The mission of OSPF is to
act as a catalyst and steward of statewide suicide prevention efforts
by supporting community-based efforts to reduce stigma, promote
education and awareness about suicide prevention, and increase
resources and programs to reduce the risk of lives lost to suicide.
www.ohiospf.org.
Melissa Martin, Ph.D., is an author, columnist, educator, and therapist. She lives in Ohio.
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