Let’s talk about it: Changing public discourse on suicide

Our community, our state, and our nation have a public health crisis on its hands. But, judging by the way we talk — or don’t — about suicide, you wouldn’t know it.

What we do know is a sad truth: suicide rates in the United States continue to spiral, with no end in sight. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports more than 450,000 Americans take their lives each year, 33 percent more than a decade ago. Those figures should disturb us enough, especially considering there are twice as many suicides as homicides. Yet, murders tend to draw greater public ire.

One of the reasons is that suicide has always been a dark topic that we are uncomfortable talking about. When it strikes, we often don’t know what to say. So, we say nothing.

In Florida, suicide is the 8th leading cause of death. On average, one person in our state will die by suicide every three hours. Pinpointing a cause for such anguish isn’t always easy. But, it’s hard not to imagine how many of those deaths could have been prevented with three simple words: “How are you?” Or how many more lives could be saved when we stick around long enough to ask, “How can I help?”

We all have a role to play in suicide prevention, and it’s time we elevated the conversation about what we can do to put an end to this public health emergency before one of us is bridled with the loss of someone we hold dear. That’s why I am counting on you to join us at Broward College for a day-long conference, Saturday, October 19 to help change the public discourse on suicide.

In collaboration with the Broward College ASN/RN-BSN programs, mental health professionals, community-minded organizations and concerned citizens will gather on the College’s A. High Adams South Campus to raise awareness about warning signs, address protective behaviors to reduce suicide, and identify resources and tools for those in mental distress.

You don’t have to be a trained professional to make a difference. After all, researchers and mental health professionals struggle to apply logic to suicides because its triggers and causes are just as perplexing to them as they are to the public.

It is clear people arrive at different paths before choosing to end their life. Sometimes, it takes months. Sometimes, minutes. And more than half of the people who die by suicide show no signs of mental health disorder at all. We have cause to believe they may be influenced by factors, such as breakups, substance abuse, or health or financial setbacks.

Certainly, more mental health services and research into treatments for severe depression and suicidal thoughts would help, but it won’t be enough. To keep those at-risk from slipping past safety checkpoints, we need to get to the bottom of underlying problems like poverty and homelessness and be more sensitive to their accompanying factors, such as trauma, crime and drugs.

We can do a better job of looking out for those who may be vulnerable. It wasn’t too long ago that two students from Marjory Stoneman Douglass in Parkland died by apparent suicide. Their deaths hit home — to those of us at Broward College and throughout the county — but they also raised questions about the trauma sustained by survivors of mass shootings. Our conference will explore these and all potential threats.

Suicide is preventable and the challenge before us is not insurmountable. The experts say talking about suicide, and about mental illness can make all the difference. It is up to all of us to let those battling mental illness or depression know that we are there for them to talk and to listen, no matter how difficult those conversations may be. We may not have answers for them, but the greater tragedy will be if we don’t try to be part of a solution.

If for no other reason than you care, join us. Together we can break the silence, but you can help save a life.

Linda Agustin Simunek, RN, Ph.D., JD, is associate dean for the RN-BSN Program at Broward College and a board member of the Florida Initiative for Suicide Prevention.

“Changing the Public Discourse on Suicide,” Saturday, Oct. 19 at Broward College, on the A. Hugh Adams Central Campus, in Davie, is sponsored by the Broward College ASN/RN programs in collaboration with the Florida Initiative for Suicide Prevention, Jason Foundation, Dylan Schopp Sunshine Foundation, Memorial Healthcare System, Chrysalis Health, South Community Mental Health, United Way, League of Women Voters, Fort Lauderdale Behavioral Health, Epilepsy Foundation and other local and state organizations. Free registration to this event at Eventbrite, Boost Your Brain, Broward College.