Do You Know These Facts About Suicide?

Maryland's legislature passed the 988 funding bill that will sustain the National Crisis Lifeline in Maryland permanently. The proposal received broad bipartisan support in both the Senate and House of Delegates and now goes to Governor Wes Moore, who has expressed strong support for it and will sign it into law.

Great news for everyone!
 

The bill will add 25 cents to each monthly phone bill, similar to the funding mechanism for 911.  What do we get for that two bits?  A 24/7/365 line of communication to trained mental health and crisis responders.  988 is not just for suicide prevention - it's for any and all mental health issues, including substance abuse. Since 988 went into effect two years ago, calls have increased 50% over calls to the earlier crisis number.
 

A quarter isn't much, but the impact is undoubtedly worth it to Marylanders. In 2020 the cost of mental health services nationally was $280 billion (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Maryland's population is about 2% of the national count, so if per capita is a realistic measure, mental health costs in our state would be about $5.6 billion.  The new 988 funding plan will bring in $25 million every year. So if as a result of the funding is just 24 people in Maryland find help, we break even.  
 

There couldn't be a much better return on the investment in social capital.  Thanks to every State Senator, House of Delegates Member, Lieutenant Governor Miller and Governor Moore for their dedication to keeping all Marylanders safe.

Suicide rates among Black youth in the United States are growing at an alarming rate according to a recent study by the Association of Medical Colleges. From 2018 to 2021, the racial group that saw the largest increase in suicides  among people 10-24 years old was Black individuals, with an increase of 37%. From 2000 to 2020, Black youth ages 10 to 19 also experienced the largest increase in suicide rates, a shocking 78%. And in a research study among the youngest children — ages 5-12 — Black youth were approximately two times more likely to die by suicide than their White counterparts. Black students also had a higher rate of suicide attempts when compared to their White and Hispanic counterparts. In other worrisome trends, suicide rates are also growing among other children of color, as well as among youth who identify as LGBTQ+. Among Black women ages 15 to 84, suicide rates rose from 2 deaths per 100,000 in 1999 to 3.4 per 100,000 between 2000 and 2020. Increases considerably spiked among Black women and girls ages 15 to 24, rising from 1.9 to 4.9 per 100,000 during that same period. The rates are still below national averages, but the increase, especially in a population that has historically been low, is alarming.
 

What are the risk factors and warning signs that may indicate that a Black American is suicidal?  Many risks factors are non-discriminatory:

• Family history of mental illness and suicidality,
• Traumatic life events (divorce, financial crises,      deaths of loved ones), 
• History of substance abuse,

Not to suggest that all risk factors weigh more heavily on Black populations because of their race, statistically some societal issues that reflect discriminatory actions do recur there more often:

• Neighborhood violence,
• Intimate partner violence,
• Overt discrimination.

Among Black youth, especially those who are active users of social media, specific risk factors exist:

• Racial bullying, especially on social media,
• Images of others in their racial or cultural group      being brutalized on all media.
• Adverse childhood experiences like financial      hardship, or absent parents.

WHAT CAN ANYONE DO TO PREVENT THE SUICIDE OF A BLACK FRIEND, COLLEAGUE OR LOVED ONE?

• First, discard any negative preconceptions about      mental health.  Stigma about mental illness and mental healthcare      prevents too many of those suffering from suicidal thought  - no      matter the race - from seeking care.
• Ask the question, without judgment, and use the      word: "Are you thinking about suicide?" Dozens of studies report      that saying "suicide" will not put the idea into someone's head.      In fact, using the word opens a door to conversation and healing.
• Black Americans historically have exhibited      greater reliance upon family and religious leaders, spiritual coping and      other informal help sources over professional mental health services to      address their mental health and psychosocial problems.  If there is a      pastor or faith leader in someone's life that can be a good place to begin      counseling. Researchers have argued that higher levels of religious      involvement reduce suicide risk because religious institutions provide      important community support to individuals, as well as that      cultural/religious prohibitions against suicide may actually serve as a      buffer against suicide for Blacks.
• Black adolescents seek professional help as a last      resort for mental health treatment, and negative social and familial      networks (e.g. family and friends) play a pivotal role in their      help-seeking behaviors. Assure the person (young or old) that there's no      shame in seeking help. Be positive.
• Promise to have the person's back throughout the      process of starting treatment. The local health department is another good      starting point.  Health departments are not just for poor      people!  They support everyone, regardless of race, faith, or culture.

  March 2024

In 2011, when the Jesse Klump Memorial Fund (JKMF) started our suicide prevention program, we began with a group for grievers of suicide loss. Over 100 people have benefitted from that post-suicide grievers’ support group.  Yet the group remains the only one on the Eastern Shore.
 
That support will soon reach more families experiencing the complicated grief after a suicide.  The JKMF is poised to launch a Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors (LOSS) Team, in large part because of a generous grant from Everytown for which we are grateful.
 
A LOSS team is made up of stakeholders consisting of first responders, hospitals, crisis responders, mental health therapists and counselors, and volunteers, some of whom have lost a loved one to suicide. The team assists with the immediate aftermath of the loss, making certain that survivors find the resources they need to get help, and planting the seeds of hope.  Often just saying, “I lost someone to suicide too,” dispels the stigma surrounding suicide and opens the door to accepting compassionate care.
 
When informed  by first responder officials such as a Coroner, Medical Examiners office, or Law Enforcement, trained LOSS volunteers immediately provide resources, understanding, and support to the newly bereaved.
 

Local LOSS team members will be trained to reach out to grievers shortly after the loss, help in any way that they can, and stay in touch – by visits, phone, text, emails, whatever seems the best avenue to healing. Kim Klump, Fund Founder and President reports, “Just knowing someone else has been there and managed to find peace is a huge help.”

In 2021, as American veterans continued to die by suicide at an alarming rate, The Veterans Administration launched a program to allow veterans to go to any emergency room and, at no cost, receive mental health care. Its first full year was 2023.
 

"I've often said that we have only one truly sacred obligation as Americans—to prepare and properly equip our women and men in uniform when we send them into harm's way, and to care for them and their families when they return," President Biden wrote in the introduction to the strategy document. "Yet for too many who are serving or have served, we are falling short."

In its first year, the new VA program served 49,714 veterans, saving an estimated $64 million in health care costs.

 From the White House cover letter on the report that presented the program's goals:  "For too many who are serving or have served, we are falling short. In an average day, 17 veterans die by suicide—not in a far-off place, but right here at home. Two active duty service members on average die by suicide every day of the year. They’re our daughters. Our sons. Parents. Spouses. Siblings. Beloved friends and battle buddies. Each of these precious lives leaves behind loved ones who feel their absence every single day, like a black hole in the middle of their chests,"
 

For more than a decade, the suicide rates have been higher and have risen faster among veterans as compared to non-veterans. Women veterans die by suicide at almost twice the rate than nonveteran women, and veterans ages 18-34 have a suicide rate almost three times higher than nonveterans the same age. In the military, young (less than 30 years of age) and enlisted service members are at heightened risk.

Veterans, including those not enrolled in the VA, can now to go any VA or non-VA emergency room - THAT'S ANY EMERGENCY ROOM -  for free suicidal care. The policy also covers veterans who experienced sexual trauma while in uniform. It also covers some people who don't meet the technical requirements to be considered a veteran, like people who were released from active duty under conditions other than dishonorable.

Transportation costs are also covered by the VA.
 

The VA program goes hand-in-hand with the National Veterans Crisis Lifeline resource.

DIAL 988 AND THEN PRESS 1 FOR THE VETERANS CRISIS LIFELINE

In its first year, lifeline teams of crisis response professionals fielded nearly one-million contacts. This includes over 750,000 calls, an increase of 12.5% from the same timeframe from the previous year and with an average speed to answer of just 9.37 seconds.