September – National Suicide Awareness Month – provides the chance for local groups to highlight resources to prevent self harm.

By Mary O’KEEFE

September is National Suicide Awareness Month. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2021 more than four in 10 (42%) of students felt persistently sad or hopeless and nearly one-third (29%) experienced poor mental health. Also in 2021, more than one in five (22%) students seriously considered attempting suicide and one in 10 (10%) attempted suicide.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has described this month as a “moment in time in which we rally the public to create awareness of this leading cause of death, and inspire more and more people to learn how they can play a role in their communities in helping to save lives.” This year the Foundation is highlighting the new campaign “Talk Away the Dark.”

This campaign targets people from 26 to 70 years old and strives to show the life-saving impact of simple, direct dialogue about suicide and how to initiate those conversations. According to the CDC, suicide rates are up in the U.S. with death by suicide increasing from 45,979 to 48,183 between 2020 and 2021.

Glendale Unified School District recognized the month with a series of events. On Monday there was an outreach during lunch where several booths with information were positioned in the school’s quad.

Members of The Chace Taylor Malone Impact Foundation Los Angeles (IFLA) were on hand to help with the outreach.

“We all were amazed how many students swarmed the booth,” said Victoria Malone of the Impact Foundation. “They asked what we did, looking to know what was being offered to them. The Impact Foundation LA also gave students motivational and inspirational cards.”

Members also provided the students with many giveaways that focused on the Foundation and shared helpful information. Several students signed up as student ambassadors to share helpful information throughout the year.

 “This was the kickoff of the Suicide Prevention Week at Crescenta Valley High School. IFLA wanted students to be aware and truly know they are supported. IFLA wants the students and community to understand we are a resource to professional services for anxiety, depression and mental health issues,” she added. “Our message was, ‘You are not alone. You are worthy.’”

These types of outreach events do help students, according to the CDC.

“We know what works to support their mental health: feeling connected to school and family. Fortunately, the same prevention strategies that promote mental health – like helping students feel connected to school/family – help prevent a range of negative experiences, like drug use and violence,” according to the CDC.

Within the group of students that might be prone to suicide there is a subset that is in even higher risk.

LGBTQ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers, according to studies reported by the Trevor Project.

“The Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health found that 45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half of transgender and non-binary youth,” according to the Trevor Project. “LGBTQ youth are not inherently prone to suicide risk because of their sexual orientation or gender identity but rather placed at higher risk because of how they are mistreated and stigmatized in society.”

Aside from the students another group that has seen an increase in suicide or thoughts of suicide were veterans.

In 2020, there were 6,146 veteran suicides, which on average is 16.8 veterans dying by suicide every day. Additionally, in the two decades between 2001 and 2020, the prevalence of mental health or substance use disorder (SUD) among participants using Veterans Health Administration (VHA) rose from 27.9% to 41.9%.

“The suicide rate for veterans is 1.5 times higher than that of the general population. Comparing the rate among women veterans to non-veteran adult women, the rate is 2.5 times higher. In 2017, the U.S. Dept. of Veteran Affairs (VA) reported the highest suicide rate among women using VA health services at 20 per 100,000. Since 2017, however, that number has decreased and was recorded to be approximately 14 per 100,000 in 2020.

“Suicide rates have been historically high among young veterans and older veterans as well. In the 20 years between 2001 and 2020, the suicide rate among veterans between the ages of 18 and 34 increased by 95.3%. During that same time period, the suicide rate among veterans between the ages of 55 and 74 rose 58.2%. From 2019-2020, however, the suicide rate for older veterans decreased while the suicide rate among veterans in the 18-34 age group increased,” according to the American Addiction Centers.

Local veterans are going to hold a vigil on Sept. 23 at the Montrose Vietnam Memorial located at the northwest corner of Ocean View Boulevard and Honolulu Avenue in Montrose to raise awareness of this situation. They will be standing vigil from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

American Legion Post 288, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1614 and Wellness Works of Glendale are sponsoring the event.

According to a statement from event coordinators, “The purpose of the vigil will be to bring attention to the alarming number of suicides among the veterans, first responders and members within our local community. Information will be available to the public regarding action to take when they believe someone is at risk of suicide. Counselors will be available to answer questions.

“Our local Legion and VFW Posts joined with the Wellness Works of Glendale as far back as 2015 to focus on the issue of suicide among our comrades and to support their suicide prevention program called Not-On-Our Watch. We have supported this preventive program physically and financially. Now we want to invite the local community to join us in addressing this issue.”

Information on Suicide Prevention help and support:

• Suicide Prevention: Call 9-8-8 or (800) 273-8255                                                              
• Crisis Text Line: text the word “HOME” to 741-741                                                                
• The Trevor Project: (866) 488-7386
• LA County Mental Health Services: (800) 854-7771                                                    
• The Trevor Project: (866) 488-738
• Love Is Respect: (866) 331-9474 | Text: LOVEIS to 22522
• Suicide Prevention Crisis Line
  (800) 273-8255 or 9-8-8
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
  Text to 741741
           California Youth Crisis Line
  (800) 843-5200 (24 hrs bilingual)
• Trevor Lifeline
  (866) 488-7386
• OK2TALK
  (800) 273-TALK