September was designated as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in 2008 but is today probably more relevant than it was at its inception.

To provide some context on just how serious the problem is, in less than an hour, five people will have died by suicide in the United States, based on data from the Centers for Disease Control. That number is based on 2022, the latest year of completed data. With 49,000 suicide deaths, that’s one death every 11 minutes.

Between 2000 and 2022, the suicide rate in the U.S. has increased by more than a third.

Those raw numbers, while disturbing, do not even approach the true toll of grief that thousands of American families suffer as a result of these deaths. The horror is only magnified by the data that shows suicide is now the second-leading cause of death for those aged 10-to-24 years and, between 2000 and 2017, the suicide rate in the 10-14 age group tripled. These are children that haven’t even reached high school.

It has gone beyond an abstract tragedy. It’s likely that everyone of us knows someone in our extended family or circle of friends whose lives have so tragically come to an end.

In every case, the question that immediately comes to mind is, “Why?”

If this were Suicide Memorial Month, the “why” would be the question most on our minds.

But this is Suicide Prevention Month and the question must shift from “why? to “what?” –  as in what measures can be taken to intercede on behalf of those whose lives are set on this tragic course.

Those who study suicide tell us that there are often warning signs of suicide that provide opportunities for intervention.

What professionals in the field have come to realize is that no one is more isolated, more intensely alone, than the suicidal person in the weeks, hours and minutes preceding that final desperate act.

It is perhaps one of the most obvious signs of impending danger. The studies show that those who die by suicide more often than not retreat from friends, family and associates, lose interest in things they had always enjoyed, grow more detached, quieter, less aware of the world around them. It is a descent into the kind of isolation where no one nor anything can intervene. It is, at that point, too late.

When we begin to see these types of behavior, it is far better to react than to assume that person is “in a mood” or “having a bad day” or “just wants to be left alone,” especially if those behaviors persist over time.

The most effective tool we have in these cases is communication. Talk to the person and, even more important, listen. Listen carefully and without judgment. The feelings they express may seem irrational, but should not be dismissed, especially when you consider that ultimately suicide in not a rational act.

You don’t have to be a trained counselor to take this step, which may be the most important step of all because it interrupts the suicide spiral. Recognizing that danger opens to door to the many wonderful resources available for those who find themselves contemplating suicide, the most immediately accessible being the national suicide hotline number 988.

For parents, building and maintaining open lines of communication is essential. We know that children are vulnerable to all manner of trauma, stress – both physical and psychological – through both personal and social media influences. They often need help in processing it all and, without that help, may be unable to see a healthy and safe path forward.

Parents who have established those open lines of communication are practicing prevention before any signs of trouble emerge, but it is never too late to work on parent/child communication. It is never too early, either.

We urge everyone to reflect on the awful scourge of suicide as the month continues and be mindful of the signs that may emerge among those we encounter.

The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.

READER FAVORITES

• 

  Roses and Thorns: 6-20-26

  By Dispatch Editorial Board • 19 hours ago