Suicide Prevention
By Jacqueline Raxter, MSW
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), suicide is currently the 12th leading cause of death in the United States. There is an average of 130 deaths by suicide every day. In 2020, 45,979 Americans died by suicide and there were an estimated 1.2 million suicide attempts. The suicide rate in 2020 was 13.48 per 100,000 individuals.
And it may be getting worse. Throughout this unprecedented pandemic, studies show that 1 in 4 adults suffer from suicidal thoughts. Moreover, 40 percent of adults admit to struggling with severe anxiety and dependency on drugs since the coronavirus epidemic changed all our lives.
75 percent of young adults report having an extremely difficult time coping with the sudden changes caused by the pandemic. Fortunately, 93 percent of those surveyed by AFSP in the United States think suicide can be prevented. At-risk suicide prevention training is geared to train non-mental health professionals detect warning signs of suicidal behavior.
Youth at Risk
Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for individuals aged 10-19, and the 2nd leading cause for ages 20-34.
Based on the most recent Youth Risk Behaviors Survey from 2019, 8.9 percent of youth in grades 9-12 reported that they had made at least one suicide attempt in the past 12 months. Female students attempted almost twice as often as male students.
According to the most recent data (February 2022) from the CDC, 10 percent of adult Americans have thought about suicide and a whopping 54 percent of Americans have been affected by suicide.
What Can I Do to Support Someone Who I Think May Be at Risk?
If in doubt, don’t wait — ask the question, “Are you thinking of harming yourself?” Alternate ways to ask include “Have you been so very unhappy lately that you’ve been thinking about ending your life?” and “You look pretty miserable; I wonder if you’re thinking about suicide?”
If the person is reluctant to talk, be persistent. Get them alone or someplace private and allow them to speak freely without judgement or defensiveness. Give them plenty of time to identify their feelings. Listen to them with your full attention, offer hope in any form and have resources handy; phone numbers, counselor’s name and any other information that might help.
Remember, suicide is not the problem, only the solution to a perceived insoluble problem.
Keep Asking
Suicidal individuals often feel that they cannot be helped so you may need to do more.
The best referral involves taking the person directly to someone who can help. The next best referral is getting a commitment from them to accept help, then making the arrangements to get that help. The third best referral is to give referral information and try to get a good faith commitment not to attempt suicide. Any willingness to accept help at some time, even if in the future, is a good outcome.
Ask and keep asking, “Will you go with me to get help?” or “Will you let me help you get help?” or “What can we do to keep you safe for now?”
Your willingness to listen can rekindle hope and make all the difference.
Resources:
If there is a life-threatening emergency call 911 or go to the nearest hospital ER.
Call or text 988 (Suicide Crisis Line) for immediate trained counselor support.
Contact Macomb County Mental Health Emergency Crisis Line 24/7 at (586) 307-9100.
Seek support from a professional physician, nurse practitioner, social worker, professional counselor, psychiatrist, or psychologist.
Often, your Primary Care doctor or insurance provider can assist with a referral.
A Holding on to Life Toolkit is available at https://www.mcspc.org/ToolKit.html.
Chaldean Community Foundation’s Project Light is available to assist with mental health treatment questions during business hours. Offering services by appointment for individual intake, treatment planning, and individual therapy in a CARF accredited, private not-for-profit professional office setting. Call (586) 722-7253.