Silence can kill when it comes to suicide.
“Talking about suicide does not cause people to kill themselves. Not talking about suicide might.”
This is the advice Dr. Jodi Gold, a psychiatrist and director of Gold Centre for Mind Health and Wellness, gave on CNN in light of chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain’s reported suicide last week. Bourdain’s death followed style icon Kate Spade’s suicide by mere days.
The deaths of these high profile people — individuals who seem to have so much in terms of success and status — pushed the topic into the limelight.
There is, however, always a profound sense of unease around the issue.
For years, media outlets were discouraged from reporting on the subject at all, due to legitimate concerns about coverage planting ideas in the minds of others. Indeed, there are some important guidelines to follow when it comes to writing or discussing suicide that both the media and those engaging in social media should follow.
These guidelines include avoiding specific details of how a suicide was carried out, and avoiding romanticizing or adding a sense of mystery to the act.
“It is important to report a suicide in a straightforward manner so that the suicide does not appear exciting. Reports should not make the suicidal person appear admirable, nor should they seem to approve of the suicide,” the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention points out on its website.
While being careful about speaking about suicide is important, there is a need to lift the taboo from the subject. Taboos lead to shame, shame leads to silence and silence means people won’t get help.
The silence is something we can all tackle. If you are concerned someone is thinking about suicide, ask them. As the CASP site points out, “it’s better to have someone alive and mad at you than dead by suicide and you feeling that you missed an opportunity to help them keep safe.”
This province has a profound suicide problem. As the provincial Advocate for Children and Youth reported late in 2017, Saskatchewan has the highest rate of youth suicide among the provinces, exceeded only by the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. The issue is even more alarming when it comes to Indigenous people. The rate of death by suicide among First Nations people in Saskatchewan is 4.3 times higher than among non-First Nations people.
Just last week, the provincial auditor slammed the government for its mental health and addictions services. Addressing the need for better supports in these areas is incredibly important to see an improvement in suicide rates.
All of us, however, have a part to play in bringing the dark subject of suicide into the light.
Crisis Services Canada offers 24hour support at 1-833-456-4566.