MANSFIELD, Ohio – World Suicide Prevention Day was observed Thursday across the globe as part of an annual initiative to raise awareness for crisis and intervention, and a few local organizations shared how they are helping make a difference.
The theme this year was “Preventing Suicide: Reaching Out and Saving Lives,” which was meant to emphasize the importance of combating suicide with support – something representatives from mental health services and the police department are trained to provide.
According to Joe Trolian, executive director of Richland County Mental Health and Recovery Services, support is the key to prevention.
“As a professional, I’ve got a clinical license in both mental health and addiction services, and I’ve had extensive training on how to work with people who are in crisis to prevent suicide,” he said. “And, frankly, when I see them, if somebody hasn’t already intervened, it’s too late.”
Similarly, Mary Kay Pierce, who is the executive director of the Richland County National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), said one of the most critical ways someone can help prevent suicide is to ask questions when signs and symptoms are present.
“We tell the families not to be afraid to talk about it and to ask the suicide question, especially if someone is severely depressed,” she said.
Trolian agreed.
“People don’t realize it’s very difficult to look someone in the eye and ask, ‘are you thinking about killing yourself?’” he said.
The question, if improperly asked, he added, may garner an insincere response.
Moreover, Pierce said while not all suicides can be prevented, most can be if people simply act and help.
Question, Persuade, Refer
Both Pierce and Trolian are among a group of people in the county who provide a specialized training called QPR, which stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer.
The concept was designed to help people recognize the early signs and symptoms of suicide and to help train them to respond in an effective way.
The program, according to Pierce said, is free to any organization or person that would want to have it.
“This is training not for professionals,” Trolian said. “I’ve trained nurses, I’ve trained parents, I’ve trained school personnel, clergy, and we did a huge presentation at our recovery conference, which is more for consumers and family members.”
The QPR Institute, which was founded in response to the QPR concept and training program, became an independent organization in 1999.
Its mission is “to save lives and reduce suicidal behaviors by providing innovative, practical and proven suicide prevention training,” according to its website.
“Most people, if they are thinking about [suicide], probably aren’t thinking that they really need help,” Trolian said.
That’s when persuasion becomes an essential component of prevention.
“When people are to the point that they are thinking about actually taking their life, they are feeling very alone,” Trolian said. “So sometimes they need to be reminded that help is there.”
The design of QPR is meant to in ways parallel cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), according to the QPR Institute’s website, because both methods are used to increase the chance of survival in the event of a crisis.
“We consider it very much like CPR – when you perform CPR on somebody, you keep doing it until the professionals show up,” Trolian said.
And because professionals likely won’t be there when suicidal thoughts first arise, establishing those three initial interventions – questioning, persuading, and referring – does save lives, he said.
CIT training
The Mansfield Police Department also receives specialized training to help with suicide prevention.
According to Mansfield Police Capt. Bret Snavely, MPD has been committed to sending all of its police officers to Crisis Intervention Team training (CIT).
“The vast majority of officers either already have it or are being scheduled as we bring new officers in,” he said. “That training is basically focused on helping people in personal crisis and referring people to local agencies.”
In total, Richland County has 392 CIT-trained officers, according to Trolian, who added that there is a trained officer on every shift in every police department in the county.
“I think the biggest thing and my personal opinion is if you know someone making suicidal comments, encourage them to reach out or reach out to someone yourself for professional help,” Snavely said. “Don’t just let it go.”
Advocacy and options
In 2004, the Richland County Suicide Prevention Coalition was formed in response to a rapid rise in county suicides the previous year.
According to it’s website, at least 22 Richland County residents lost their lives to suicide in 2003, which was almost twice the average suicide rate for the three preceding years.
“Since that time, the highest recording of Richland County suicides is 17 in 2012,” said Pierce, who added that the coalition is run through the Richland County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board.
Furthermore, Trolian said there are many options for suicide prevention within the county, including hospitals and a 24-hour crisis hotline staffed with trained professionals at 419-522-HELP.
“Right now, we have 14 registered health officers, which are registered and trained by the board,” he said. “They are employed with Catalyst Life Services, so they are able to come out to screenings to determine if somebody needs hospitalization or if they just need supervision for a period of time or outpatient service.”
There’s also a 13-bed crisis stabilization unit, which is housed inside Catalyst Life Services on Scholl Road. Trolian said it is staffed 24/7 and gives people something they can use as a step between hospitalization and going home.
“It’s not a locked facility, and it’s actually very nice – we just renovated it a couple of years ago,” Trolian said. “It’s a safe place to stay.”
World Suicide Prevention Day is an International Association for Suicide Prevention initiative, which started in 2003. The World Health Organization co-sponsors the program.
According to a World Health Organization report, more than 800,000 people commit suicide every year, making it the second-leading cause of death in 15- to 29-year-olds globally.
“However, since suicide is a sensitive issue, and even illegal in some countries, it is very likely that it is under-reported,” the WHO report states.
The report also shows that suicide is much more likely to occur in people with low to middle incomes – more than 75 percent of the total reported suicides in 2012.
In Richland County, the suicide rate is 10.9 for every 100,000 people, according to the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation. That rate is lower than the national average of 11.5 for every 100,000 people.
The foundation also reports that more than 85 percent of suicides in the county are male and that the 25- to 35-year-old age group has the highest rate of suicide.
There are many signs and symptoms of suicide, some of which include feelings of hopelessness, increased drug or alcohol abuse, loss of interest in hobbies, isolation, or showing rage or seeking revenge.
A more complete list of signs and symptoms is available at Suicide Awareness Voices of Education’s website.
“I think the biggest thing and my personal opinion is if you know someone making suicidal comments, encourage them to reach out or reach out to someone yourself for professional help,” Capt. Bret Snavely said. “Don’t just let it go.”
