County Mayor Tim Stribling and Smithville Mayor Jimmy Poss signed proclamations Thursday designating September as Suicide Prevention Month in the city and county.
On hand to witness the signing were Mark Allison and Lena Higgins of the Cookeville Upper Cumberland region of the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network or TSPN.
“This is really a great thing you’re doing,” said Higgins. “We really appreciate it.”
Allison and Higgins provided materials to give out at city hall including crisis phone numbers, the new text-line posters, pamphlets, ink pens and wrist bracelets that say “TN Lives County – Never Give Up.”
The Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network (TSPN) and Crisis Text Line, a free, 24/7 text-messaging support line for people in crisis, recently announced the launch of a partnership bringing crisis support to anyone in the state. People in Tennessee can text “TN” to 741-741 to connect with a crisis counselor.
An estimated 950 men, women, and children die by suicide in Tennessee each year. More people die by suicide each year than from homicide, AIDS, or drunk driving. Suicide is the leading cause of violent deaths in our state, nationally, and worldwide, far above homicide and death due to natural disasters.
According to TSPN, the increase in numbers over the years comes from awareness and record keeping. Often, the stigma surrounding suicide and mental illness resulted in family members claiming a suicide death was an accident or natural causes, often with the approval of local doctors or medical examiners. But as this stigma gradually ebbs and record-keeping practices improve, more suicide deaths are being correctly classified. While this phenomenon produces an apparent increase in numbers and rates, it also guarantees that the numbers are more accurate.
Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among youth and young adults ages 15-24 in Tennessee and for the United States at large. According to the Tennessee Department of Health, there were 1,045 recorded suicide deaths in our state in 2015, at a rate of 16.1 per 100,000 people. That’s up from 945 at a 14.4 rate in 2014.
DeKalb County’s age-adjusted suicide rate in 2015, the latest year for which county-specific figures are available, was 26.1 per 100,000 people, translating into five reported suicide deaths. This number of suicides in DeKalb County for 2014 was three or 15.6 per 100,000.
In neighboring counties, Warren County had seven suicides or 17.3 per 100,000 and White County had six reported suicides for 22.6 per 100,000 in 2015.
Clay County had the highest suicide rate among the Upper Cumberland Region’s 14 counties at 51.4 per 100,000 with four deaths. Moore County had the fewest with no reported suicides in 2015.
DeKalb County’s suicide rate was at 16.6 per 100,000 in 2006 and 2007 with three deaths each of those years. But the rate soared to 48.1 per 100,000 in 2008 with nine deaths. The rate dropped to 26.5 per 100,000 with five deaths in 2009 but went back up to 37.4 per 100,000 with seven deaths in 2010. DeKalb’s suicide rate for 2011 was 26.5 per 100,000 with five deaths and 15.9 per 100,000 in 2012 with three suicides and 15.7 per 100,000 in 2013 with three deaths.
In almost all cases, suicide can be traced to unrecognized, untreated or poorly-treated mental illness. It can happen to people of either sex, any race or ethnicity, and any economic status. The average suicide death leaves behind six survivors—family and friends of the deceased—all of whom are at increased risk for a suicide attempt themselves. As if the emotional and psychological toll were not enough, suicide and suicide attempts cost the state of Tennessee $1 billion a year in medical treatment, lost wages, and lost productivity.
The Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network (TSPN) and its allies in the public health, mental health, and social service fields are joining forces to recognize the month of September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.
During this annual observance, TSPN and its allies arrange several educational and memorial events across Tennessee. These projects help teach the general public about the problem of suicide and how it can be prevented. They also give us an opportunity to remember those lost to suicide; to encourage survivors of suicide, survivors of suicide attempts, and people who have triumphed over mental illness; and to recognize individuals who have made notable contributions to suicide prevention efforts in our state.
Details about the Suicide Prevention Awareness Day observance and other events planned across the state will be announced on the TSPN website (www.tspn.org). Additional information about Suicide Prevention Awareness Month is available from the TSPN central office at (615) 297-1077 or tspn@tspn.org.
Crisis Text Line provides access to a trained crisis counselor who can provide immediate support and referrals not just for suicidal thoughts, but also for anxiety, depression, child and domestic abuse, substance abuse, eating disorders, human trafficking, and beyond.
More information about the Crisis Text Line is available via their website. Non-emergency information about suicide and other crisis resources are available on the TSPN website.