Suicide Prevention Conference

From left to right-Ken Albert, Director and Chief Operating Officer, Maine CDC; Kyle Poissonnier, founder of Katalyst; MaKayla Reed, volunteer for The Trevor Project; Jodi Beck, Director of Clinical Integration and Physician Practice Improvement for Kennebec Regional Health Alliance, MaineGeneral Health; Anthony Ronzio, Director of news for the Bangor Daily News; Kristen McAuley, Team Lead, Healthy and Safe Living, Division of Population Health, Maine CDC; Brian Walsh, Principal of Hermon High School. CAL ME Award recipients not pictured- Ethel Jalbert and Tonya Bailey-Curry, community volunteers.

  

More than 200 people attended the Maine Suicide Prevention Program’s conferece, 2015 Beyond the Basics: Pathway to Suicide Prevention, last week. Ken Albert, Director and Chief Operating Officer of Maine CDC, presented the Caring About Lives in Maine Awards to seven Individuals and agencies for their leadership and dedication to suicide prevention. 

Suicide Prevention

As news spreads of the death of actor Robin Williams by suspected suicide, the Maine Suicide Prevention Program at Maine CDC takes a moment to share the following information.

Depression is a leading risk factor for suicide. It doesn’t matter who you are or what your job is, depression can touch anyone. Signs of depression include:

• Mood – sad, irritable, angry
• Withdrawing from friends, family, activities
• Changes in sleep, appetite or weight
• Feeling worthless or guilty
• Not able to think or focus
• Hopelessness – seeing no chance of improvement

The sense of hopelessness that goes along with depression can make suicide feel like the only way to escape the pain. Thoughts of death or suicide are a serious cry for help.

Depression is a treatable medical illness. Help is available, please reach out.

If you are concerned about yourself or about somebody else, call the Maine suicide crisis hotline at 1-888-568-1112. If you need immediate help, dial 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

If you are not in Maine, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Maine Youth and Suicide Prevention

Maine youth are making healthier choices, including smoking and drinking less, but are increasingly struggling with their emotional wellbeing.

Those findings and other insights directly from tens of thousands of Maine students about their health and habits are detailed in the newly released results of the 2013 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (MIYHS).

The survey, which has been given every odd year since 2009, is a collaboration of the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Center for Disease Control and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services in the Department of Health and Human Services. The results inform prevention and program planning, as well as future funding proposals.

While students largely feel more supported by parents, teachers and their communities, they also admit they are increasingly struggling with feelings of sadness and hopelessness. At the high school level, 14.6 percent of students said they have seriously considered attempting suicide, and 16.8 percent of seventh and eighth graders said the same. 

In October, Maine was one of six states awarded a 3-year federal Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration grant, which will expand statewide education, training, and outreach services and offers new screening, assessment, treatment and follow-up services for youth to age 24 at risk for suicide.

The Maine Suicide Prevention Program is collaborative initiative among: the Departments of Health and Human Services, Education, Corrections, Labor, Public Safety, and Veteran's Affairs; advocacy organizations like American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, NAMI ME; crisis agencies; parents, survivors and young adults.

Although suicide is a rare event, we must encourage and support our youth and young adults who may be feeling overwhelmed and hopeless to reach out to a trusted adult who will provide support and connect them to helping resources, such as:

• Statewide Crisis Hotline: 1-888-568-1112 - connects callers to crisis service provider in area from which they are calling. This is for ALL individuals in crisis to provide immediate, local assistance in a crisis situation. The crisis worker will ask what is going on and ask about everyone's safety to help figure out what kind of help is need. If you believe a person might be in danger of suicide, call the statewide crisis hotline or the police (911) to keep the person safe if needed.

• Statewide Information Resource Center (IRC): 1-800-499-0027 Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services IRC has suicide prevention informational materials for adults and teens including: print and audio/visual educational materials, Maine and national data, etc.

For more information:

• Maine Suicide Prevention Program: www.maine.gov/suicide

• Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey summary results and press release: at http://mainedoenews.net/category/news-views/press-releases/

• 2013 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey result: https://data.mainepublichealth.gov/miyhs/

World Suicide Prevention Day

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day. Suicide claims 1 million lives worldwide every year, resulting in one suicide every 40 seconds. Suicide is a preventable cause of premature death on a global level. In 2007, the latest year for which national data are available, suicide accounted for 57% of violent deaths in the U.S.

Suicide is a significant problem in Maine. Maine’s suicide rate among people of all ages ranked 14th highest in the U.S. in 2007. Of 218 violent deaths in Maine that year, 26 (12%) were homicides and 191 (88%) were suicides.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Maine’s young people aged 15-24. Maine lost a total of 104 young lives from 2004-2008, an average of more than 20 per year. In 2007, the rate of suicide by people aged 15-24 in Maine ranked 6th highest in the nation.

Experts believe that most suicidal individuals do not want to die and that suicidal crises tend to be brief. Suicidal individuals want to end the pain that they are experiencing. When suicidal risk is detected early, lives can be saved.

Governor John Baldacci has proclaimed September 14 as Maine Suicide Prevention Awareness Day. An event marking youth suicide prevention efforts in Maine will be held from 2-4 p.m. September 14 in the Hall of Flags on the second floor of the State Capitol Building in Augusta. First Lady Karen Baldacci will read the Governor’s proclamation and Muriel Littlefield, Director of the Department of Health and Human Services Project, will recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to suicide prevention. Other state and local leaders will speak and urge others to get involved in suicide prevention. Nancy Thompson, a mother whose son Timmy died by suicide in 2004 and a “Maine Connect speaker,” is a featured speaker. Anyone is welcome to attend.

Several Maine businesses are helping to raise awareness of suicide prevention by distributing information to their customers, including: Fashion Bug, Lithgow Library, Marden’s, Bangor Mall Pizza Hut, and Reny’s.

For more information on youth suicide prevention efforts in Maine, visit www.maine.gov/suicide