National Suicide Prevention Month: Call 988/Text Hello to 741741

We don’t like to talk about it.  And that’s the problem.  Conversations about mental health are uncomfortable and we can always find a reason to wait, or tell ourselves that we are ok, or that our loved one is ok.  But what if they are not?  What if we are not?  What if this is our one opportunity to prevent a tragedy?  A few moments of discomfort are trivial compared to a lifetime of grief for those left behind.  National Suicide Prevention Month is the perfect time to learn how to respond to a mental health crisis.

We are living through a time of extraordinary stress.  The pandemic and the economic and social upheaval that have occurred in its wake have taken a toll on our collective mental health.  According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, there were 1.2 million suicide attempts in 2020 in the U.S.  Mental health professionals report disturbing spikes in patient reports of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.  At the same time, we face a shortage of behavioral health resources.  The closure of Brandywine Hospital and cutbacks at Crozer Health have made locating mental health services more difficult than ever for people living in the communities we serve.

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To learn more, or locate training resources check out these sites:

https://www.chesco.org/4191/TrainingsWorkshops

https://www.preventsuicidepa.org/task-force-county-init/delaware/