|
For immediate release:
Contact: Julie Graham, Strategic Communications Office, 360-810-1628
Suicide rates in Washington continue rising
Health officials promote individual and community action during September’s Suicide Prevention Month
OLYMPIA -- Suicide rates in Washington have continued to rise and health officials at the Department of Health want people to take five actions urged in the national “#Bethe1to” suicide prevention campaign.
“We want people to know there are steps they can take that
can help prevent suicide,” said Secretary of Health John Wiesman. “Learning
these may be vitally important to those you love and care about.”
In 2017, 1,300 Washingtonians died by suicide, and from
2006 to 2017 suicide in Washington state increased by an average of 2.5 percent
annually.
The national #Bethe1to campaign, highlights five
actions people can take to help prevent suicide.
1. Be
the one to ask.
Ask the tough question. When somebody you
know shows warning signs, ask them directly: “Are you thinking about killing
yourself?” Take
an online screening.
2. Be
the one to keep them safe.
Do they have access to medications,
firearms, or other means of suicide? Ask if they’ve thought about how they
would do it and separate them from anything they could use to hurt themselves. Learn more from WA’s Safer Homes Coalition.
3. Be
the one to be there.
People thinking about suicide can feel a
burden to their loved ones.
If your friend is thinking about suicide,
listen to their reasons for feeling hopeless and in pain. Listen with
compassion and empathy without judgement.
Now Matters Now
has videos from people who have experienced suicidal thoughts share what
individuals can do to help manage those thoughts.
4. Be
the one to help them connect.
Help your friend connect to a support
system, whether it’s 800-273-TALK (8255), the crisis text line (text “HEAL” to
741741) family, friends, faith-based leaders, coaches, co-workers, health care
professionals or therapists, so they have a network to reach out to for help. 2-1-1’s online database
is another way to find local resources.
5. Be
the one to follow up.
Check in with the person you care about on
a regular basis.
Making contact with a friend in the days
and weeks after a crisis can make a difference in keeping them alive. Send
a caring contact. This could be a phone call, text,
email, or letter.
If you want to connect with someone anonymously, call
the National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, chat, or text
“HEAL” to 741741 to text with a trained crisis counselor.
More
information on suicide
prevention in Washington and the state’s Suicide
Prevention Plan is online.
The DOH website
is your source for a healthy dose of information. Find us on Facebook
and follow us on Twitter.
Sign-up for the DOH blog, Public
Health Connection.
|
