Somewhere in Utah today, two people died by suicide. Or maybe not. Maybe the number was greater than that.
Suicide is a silent killer; very few people are willing to break down the stigma surrounding mental health issues and suicidal thoughts and reach out for help. Utah has had higher suicide rates than the United States for over a decade, meaning that suicide is a struggle many, many people are currently facing, whether it be through thoughts of killing themselves, friends or family who are struggling, or they’ve already lost someone to suicide.
The Utah Suicide Prevention Coalition implemented a statewide suicide prevention plan to reduce the state’s suicide rate by 10% by 2021. This included initiatives in schools, businesses, and an increase of resources for hospitals and local mental health agencies. Among their aims were improving connectedness, identifying at-risk individuals earlier, and reducing access to lethal means. While not every person can address every aspect of this plan in their lives, suicide prevention is everyone’s buisness, and everyone can do something to help.
For starters: improving connections with friends and family. Connection is the number one protective factor in suicide prevention. Connection can look like a phone call on the way to work, waving hello to a neighbor on a walk, or holding tissues for a crying friend. The important thing is that you’re present. One in every 15 adults has thought of suicide in the past year — you never know who needs cookies dropped off on their porch.
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in Utah, but it doesn’t have to be. Suicide is complex, but it is the most preventable kind of death. Prevention must become more important to us because maybe only two people died by suicide today — but they left behind countless others.
Ellie Shawcroft, Lehi
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