When suicides are in the spotlight
A look at impacts, stats and resources
Suicide does not discriminate. Those from all backgrounds and walks of life can be at risk, and rates have risen across the nation, state and locally.
Following news of celebrity deaths – such as those of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain – by suicide, that risk can be even greater.
“I would say locally that we tend to see an increase in individuals seeking services after traumatic events occur in the news (such as a completed suicide from a ce-
lebrity),” Meredith Evans, forensic and psychiatric emergency services program manager for Sutter-yuba Behavioral Health, said in an email. “Often people hear and see details of events and either want to process those things with a professional and/or it triggers something for that person that encourages them to seek services.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report last week showing that suicide rates went up in every state from 1999 through 2016; in half of those, the rates rose more than 30 percent.
More than half of people who died by suicide did not have a known mental health condition, and it’s the 10th leading cause of death, according to the CDC.
Evans said Sutter-yuba Behavioral Health has “definitely” seen an increase in the number of people accessing psychiatric emergency services in the last few years, and a fairly large increase in the number of youth seeking crisis intervention services in the last two years.
“We see all walks of life in crisis services; no one is immune to situations in life that require extra intervention or assistance,” Evans said.
In an email Monday, the California Department of Public Health said that although rural areas in the state have smaller populations, they have higher rates of suicide per 100,000 residents than most urban areas. Some risk factors specific to rural areas include geographic isolation, and local access to economic opportunities, it said.
And suicide rates are twice as high as homicide rates, the CDC said, are preventable, and are not only high among the elderly but also among youth.
How to help
There are a number of suicide prevention or crisis help lines locally and nationally, though it can be difficult expecting those struggling to reach out for help.
“It can be incredibly difficult for someone who feels hopeless to reach out to others,” Evans said. “Rarely will a person directly state that they feel suicidal. It’s more common that the person will share that they feel worthless or lose interest in the things that they used to enjoy.”
She said family and friends can help by paying attention when something seems “off”: warning signs can include dramatic changes in behavior, isolation, feelings of hopelessness, talking more about death, giving away personal items, engaging in risky behaviors or misusing substances. She said it’s important to check in on those you care about, and not be afraid to go with them if they need to meet with a professional.
According to the CDC, another prevention method can include reducing access to lethal means – like medications and firearms – among people at risk of suicide.
It’s OK to ask for help
Evans said it’s sometimes easier to reach out to a stranger through a crisis line than to share with someone you love for fear of judgment.
And there are misconceptions about contacting a crisis line, like that you will be sent away to a hospital. She said that’s not always true – the majority of the time, the person is there to listen, talk about options for safety and to offer resources. If the professional feels that you represent a high risk of danger to yourself, they’ll move toward hospitalization, but crisis has a goal to keep you in your community with an individualized safety/support plan.
“Anyone who is having thoughts about hurting themselves or completing suicide is not alone,” Evans said. “A lot of people have feelings or thoughts about suicide, it’s important to know you can text or call to speak to a crisis counselor nationally or locally.”