BRATTLEBORO — For four decades the American Association of Suicidology has sponsored the National Suicide Prevention Week in September, an annual event that raises awareness about this public health threat.
This year the organization says Vermont ranks 14th in the nation for rate of suicide deaths.
The Vermont Suicide Prevention Resource and Training Center (VSPRTC), a strong suicide prevention and awareness voice in the state aimed at promoting positive mental health, asks Vermonters to take a moment this week to learn something new about this often misunderstood issue.
National Suicide Prevention Week's theme for 2013 is “Challenging Our Assumptions and Moving Forward Together.”
The VSPRTC is a program of Brattleboro's Center for Health and Learning, creators of the UMatter Youth Suicide Prevention campaign and training curriculum (www.UMatterUCanGetHelp.com).
In a press statement, VSPRTC said suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, and that some 922,725 Americans attempt suicide each year. The group estimates that another 5 million living Americans have attempted suicide.
According to Nicole Miller, a mental health program specialist at the Center for Health and Learning, those large numbers and percentages can make it difficult to grasp the heart of this issue.
“A more immediate message that helps us take in the true enormity is a simple statement: in the United States one suicide occurs on average every 14 minutes,” she said.
Miller spoke to the feelings of helplessness that can arise for anyone grappling with the topic of suicide and its hourly impact:
“The strong complement to that statement that brings significant hope into the equation is our knowledge that suicide is largely preventable. Many people don't think of it as such, but when we know more, when we learn even a few basic facts about suicide, everyone can help prevent it.”
Learning the warning signs is a strong first step, the organization said: Depression, mood swings, and intense anger are emotional red flags. An abrupt improvement after a period of sadness and withdrawal can signal concern.
Also important is listening, and taking note of repeated statements of hopelessness, failure, feeling trapped, or increased talk about death or dying.
Miller said a common myth is that people who talk about killing themselves won't follow through. Many attempts, she said, are preceded by references to death, suicide, and wanting to die.
“The assumption we most want to challenge is that suicide is an inevitable tragedy,” Miller explained. “We can save the lives of our fellow Vermonters.”
Vermont's high rate of suicide itself challenges many assumptions, given the positive rankings the state garners in other areas. The high school graduation rate is one of the highest in the nation, at 90 percent, a rank attained by only Vermont and Wisconsin.
As of 2012, America's Health Rankings shows Vermont at the top of the list of healthiest states for the fourth consecutive year.
“So we have a lot of positives to work with,” Miller said. “But with those comparative rates, we have to ask, What's going on with that high suicide rate? We need to look closer, listen more carefully, think about how Vermont's youth and adults might be suffering silently.”