COVID-19 may have stopped walkers from raising awareness that suicide is preventable, but the message is still going out.
During National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, the Montgomery County Youth Service Bureau has launched a campaign to promote resources available to help people cope. The campaign was planned after the pandemic prevented YSB’s INSPIRE group from planning its annual awareness walk.
“There are people who hold the belief that if you talk about suicide, you will start a suicide contagion … when in fact the goal of a prevention and awareness campaign is to let kids know it’s OK to talk about suicide,” YSB executive director Karen Branch said. “It’s OK to let people know that you are feeling so sad that you don’t know another way out, because only by talking with someone can we help them cope with all those feelings.”
The campaign, funded by the Duke Energy Foundation, promotes suicide prevention hotlines on social media posts, yard signs and a billboard. Every high school and middle school student will be provided bracelets and wallet cards.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Hoosiers ages 15-24 and the fifth leading cause of death for children ages 5-14, according to the Indiana Youth Institute, a nonprofit advocacy group.
Youth who identify as LGBTQ+ are five times more likely to attempt suicide than their straight peers. The YSB is exploring partnerships with advocacy groups to expand resources to LGBTQ+ children and teens.
Schools are also on the front lines of helping youth cope with mental health issues. Staff members receive training in youth suicide awareness and prevention. Counselors, nurses and several teachers are equipped for emergency mental health interventions.
Indiana requires schools to have child suicide awareness and prevention policies, and teachers in grades 5-12 receive undergo related training every three years.
In the classroom, middle school students are receiving courses in social-emotional learning.
“We have an open-door policy for any student that may be dealing with suicidal thoughts or ideation and need someone to talk to and process what they are going through,” Southmont Jr. High School counselor Mary Scheidler said.
For people living with mental health issues, the pandemic has been a “game changer,” Branch said. A common risk factor of suicide is feeling isolated.
“I really hate that they refer to it as ‘social distancing,’” Branch said. “It should be physical distancing, you know, staying six feet apart, not stopping our social connections.”
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text “HOME” to 741741.
