Everybody has a role in preventing suicides

The state Department of Correction announced recently it would be taking a closer look at preventing suicides.

The state Department of Correction announced recently it would be taking a closer look at preventing suicides after an inmate was found dead, his death ruled suicide by hanging.

The inmate in question was a man who reportedly had a troubled childhood and had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. His family believes he would not have been in prison had he been able to get the help he needed for his illness. His death marked the third suicide of an inmate under DOC supervision in 2016.

Since 307 inmates have committed suicide under DOC’s watch between January 2005 and December 2016, it certainly is time the prison system addressed the issue.

Nationwide, suicide has been on the rise since 2001. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U. S. and the second leading cause of death among people 44 and under and the fifth leading cause of those 45-54.

And roughly 20 veterans a day commit suicide nationwide, according to data from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Here in Connecticut, an average of one person per day took their own life in 2015, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The biggest spikes were found in teenagers between 15 and 19 and in adults 40 to 49.

And those are the ones we know about.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, many suicide attempts go unreported or untreated. Surveys suggest at least one million people in the U.S. annually attempt to intentionally harm themselves.

Those are disturbing numbers that leave family members and loved ones wrapped in grief and guilt with many unanswered questions.

Mental health experts say suicide is “the nation’s greatest untamed cause of death” and one of the few major threats worldwide that has gotten significantly worse this century than in the last.

There is some light in this bleak picture for Nutmeggers. While suicide remains “a significant problem” in Connecticut, the state has a below national average rate of 10.25 per 100,000 people, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Mental health officials are not only trying to get a handle on why people take their own lives but also have implemented an “aggressive effort” to address the issues by implementing suicide prevention training — measures that can hopefully save lives.

Tom Steen, executive director of the Hartford-based Capital Area Substance Abuse Council, said “there’s been a lot of work in the last couple years in training folks in suicide awareness.”

The Jordan Porco Foundation, also based in Hartford, is focused on “creating a message of hope for young adults” by offering programs that challenge the “stigma of mental illness” by talking openly about it and educating about the risk factors and warning signs of suicide and other related mental health concerns.

Training people to recognize the signs of suicides and removing the stigma surrounded it are good steps but more is needed to save the lives of hundreds annually in Connecticut.

The current phrase for suicide prevention is “Question, Persuade, Refer.” If you are concerned someone may be suicidal, ask them about it; experts say “it can be helpful.”

Every 12 minutes in the United States, a man or woman will take his or her life — and every year, more than one million people will attempt to do the same.

Those are numbers as a society we can’t live with — and shouldn’t.

Here in Connecticut, an average of one person per day took their own life in 2015, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The biggest spikes were found in teenagers between 15 and 19 and in adults 40 to 49.