Christen Giblin, National Alliance on Mental lllness of Wood County
What public health problem is responsible for 41,149 deaths in the United States each year (U.S. Centers for Disease Control)? The answer is suicide.
September 5-11, 2016 is National Suicide Prevention Week. Established by the American Association of Suicidology, National Suicide Prevention Week was established to promote understanding of suicide and support those affected by it. The week surrounds World Suicide Prevention Day September 10.
Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States. According to the National Institutes of Health, 86% of those who complete suicide suffer from a mental illness, especially depression. Suicides increased 24% in the country between 1999 and 2014 (CDC: this statistic is adjusted for age.) Wood County is not immune to the problem; it sees an average of twelve suicides per year.
The nation and local communities have responded to this public health issue with public information and education campaigns. In Wood County, a Suicide Prevention Coalition formed nearly ten years ago to address the problem aggressively. Partnering with local agencies, it has placed prevention specialists in district schools, participated in televised community forums, and designed print campaigns. It also honors those who have lost loved ones to suicide with an annual Survivors of Suicide Evening of Remembrance.
