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By Nicole Reis

World Suicide Prevention Day

Mental Health professionals say suicide prevention is a community effort

Sep 10, 2020 | 3:09 PM

On this World Suicide Prevention Day, mental health professionals say nothing impacts a small community more than a loved one dying by their own hand. The annual event brings people together to promote understanding and support those impacted by a suicide attempt or loss.

Mara Grunau is the Executive Director for the Centre for Suicide Prevention, a branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association. She more people die by suicide each year than in war and homicide combined.

“Far more people die by their own hand and we don’t know because we’re not willing to have a thoughtful public conversation about it,” she told meadowlakeNOW. “When we’re not willing to talk about it, unfortunately, it perpetuates stigma.”

Research suggests when suicide is stigmatized, individuals are less likely to ask for help. Grunau said breaking though stigma is done by speaking openly and frequently about mental health.

Helplessness affects how an individual perceives the choices around them and presents a sense of tunnel-vision, Grunau said, adding you don’t need to be a mental health professional to offer support in a timely, trusting and open way.

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“We’re far more likely to tell a trusted person in our life [rather than a social worker],whether it’s a family member or a friend or someone you see regularly, like a colleague or maybe someone you commute to work with,” she said. “We want those someones to know what to do with that information and to be able to be sensitive to someone who is asking for help but not outright speaking about suicide.”

If someone you know expresses how they’re feeling, Grunau suggests being curious, being gentle and being quiet – let the individual talk and ask open-ended questions to foster a conversation. When people share what they feel, they are offering an invitation to talk and testing to see if you are gentle, trustworthy or if they will be judged, she said. Once a conversation is established, it’s important to ask the person directly if they are contemplating suicide, she noted.

“This is a difficult question to ask but it takes the burden away from the other person. You said the word so they don’t have to. All they have to do is say ‘yes,’” she said. “Try to stay calm and thank the person for their honesty and both are encouraged to make a call to Crisis Services Canada who will help to get you and your person help.”

Stephanie MacKendrick, chief executive officer with Crisis Services Canada said suicide is a big issue cutting across all demographics in all age groups, locations, cultural backgrounds and ethnic backgrounds. She said there is a disproportionate variation among Indigenous youth, compared to the rest of the population. She suggested helping youth overcoming adverse situations starts with talking about issues frequently and regularly checking in with one another.

“There’s so much we can do as individuals,” MacKendrick said. “I think the difficult thing about suicide is it makes you feel helpless. The more we use the tools we do have as individuals, such as listening and empathy, are key skills that can make a difference and there’s power in that we can reduce the impact of suicide.”

MacKendrick says Canada Suicide Prevention Service is not just for those who have suicide-related concerns for themselves but also for those who want to help someone else.

There are training opportunities in Saskatchewan involved with the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s Roots of Hope Suicide Prevention Initiative.

Roots of Hope is a community-based suicide prevention project so the public can direct activities to impact the effects of suicide in communities as part of prevention.

HealthLine 811, Kids Help Phone, Mobile Crisis and Hope for Wellness help lines are available throughout the province.

All of these help lines provide counselling, support, information and referral services for those who need help.

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nicole.reis@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @nicolereis7722