CW: suicide
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has been sponsoring suicide prevention talks at various campuses entitled “Talk Saves Lives.” One of these talks happened at Chatham in Eddy Theatre Chatham’s campus on October 20th, as recommended by our new president, Dr. Finegold. The two presenters were Sharon Novalis Ph.D OTR/L, and Joyce Sals OTD OTR/L, from Chatham’s Master of Occupational Therapy program. Both presenters shared that they are so dedicated to this topic because people close to them had committed suicide. The director of counseling services at Chatham, Elsa Arce Ph.D, was also in attendance to talk about the services that Chatham offers for suicide prevention, as well as those that local and national organizations provide.
The main theme of the presentation was the same as the title, that talk saves lives. The presentation was split into four sections that covered how often suicide occurs, what measures are being taken to better understand why suicide occurs, and overall, how to prevent it.
1. Statistics
In the United States, 42,773 people die by suicide each year, and it is the 10th leading cause of death. Every completed suicide has been estimated to impact 115 people, 42 of which were very close to the person. For each completed suicide, there are 25 people that have attempted, and that many more people that may be impacted. Firearms are most frequently used as a method for suicide.
2. Research
Suicide research has only begun within the last few decades. There are many reasons as to why people to attempt suicide, and mental illness is only one of the contributing factors. Generally, a crisis point is reached that directly leads to a suicide attempt, but many other situations and predispositions before that crisis point. The crisis point usually leads to such strong thoughts of suicide because the person undergoes tunnel vision and cannot think of any other options. Risk factors for suicide have been organized into a few different categories, and the impact of each is still being found through research.
3. Prevention
There are many protective factors that help people avoid thoughts of suicide, including mental health care, family and community support, problem-solving skills, cultural and religious beliefs. Current estimates are that only 20% of people with a mental illness are seeking treatment. If we can reduce the stigma towards receiving mental health treatment, as well as make treatment more accessible, then people will be able to get the help they need. Self care is something that people often forget to do or ignore, or even think is a selfish act. However, people deserve to and should care as much for themselves as they do for others and their obligations. Exercising, eating well, sleeping as much as you need, and taking time to manage your stress management is incredibly important. Another large aspect of suicide prevention is to simply remove the means to complete a suicide. If a person cannot immediately find what they need to attempt suicide when they are in a crisis, they are unlikely to find a second method and will instead safely get past the crisis point.
4. What Can You Do?
Watch for warning signs, reach out, and seek help.
Always assume you will be the only person to reach out, because you very well might be. When you reach out, DO so in private, listen to the person, express concern and care, ask directly about suicide which is often really hard but important, and encourage them to get mental health help. DO NOT minimize their feelings or try to convince them their life is worth living. You may want to tell them every reason in their lives that is great, but they may not see everything the same way and it can be harmful to try to convince them a life they want to escape is worth it.
If someone is in the middle of a crisis, make sure they are safe by staying, removing lethal means, and escorting them to the closest crisis center or hospital. If you are in a crisis, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or as long as you are in Pittsburgh, you can call Western Psychiatric Institute 412-624-2100 or re:solve Crisis Network 1.888.7.YOU.CAN (1.888.796.8226). Chatham has its own counseling center that provides counseling free of cost to every full time Chatham student, and can refer you to other resources if necessary. They can be reached at (412)-365-1282 or you can stop by their office which is next to the bookstore past Woodland Hall, Monday-Friday 9 am-5 pm. More information can be found at: http://www.chatham.edu/campuslife/osa/counseling/
To continue the dedication to suicide prevention at Chatham, there will be an American Found of Suicide Prevention’s Out of the Darkness Campus Walk held in the spring to raise awareness and money for suicide prevention. The event will be on April 8, 2017 on the Quad. Check-in will be at 10:00 am, and the walk will be from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm. You can register as an individual or team here: http://afsp.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&eventID=4377
References:
[AFSP]. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention <https://afsp.org/>.