Officials say increase in local suicide rate inexplicable
While local officials say they’re hard pressed to explain it, suicides are on the rise in Fayette and Washington counties. In Fayette County, the number of suicides rose from 16 in 1998 to 26 in 2002, according to Fayette County Coroner Phillip Reilly.
In Washington County, that number rose from 20 in 1998 to 27 in 2002, according to Coroner S. Timothy Warco.
Greene County was not able to provide statistics, as the coroner’s office keeps record of only the number of deaths, not how they occur.
Melanie McMillen, outpatient and crisis coordinator for Chestnut Ridge Counseling Services in Uniontown, said it’s hard to pinpoint the reason for the increase, noting the reasons run the gamut, from unemployment to drugs to old age.
McMillen said Chestnut Ridge offers a variety of services for children and adults, and patients are treated according to their specific needs. The agency also operates a crisis center, which offers help to those suffering from depression, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“We see about 700 patients each week, and half of those people are suffering from depression,” said McMillen.
She said one problem, though, is that people who are depressed often fail to seek professional help.
“If you know someone who is depressed or considering suicide, you need to utilize the crisis center,” said McMillen. “Always make sure you seek professional help for the person, and don’t try to do it all on your own.”
Nationally, the number of suicides dropped from 30,906 in 1990 to 29,199 in 1999. However, they increased to 29,350 in 2000, the last year the number of suicides nationally was available, according to the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) in Washington, D.C.
Statewide, the numbers in Pennsylvania have dropped, from 1,452 in 1990 to 1,284 in 2000. Overall, Pennsylvania was 28th in suicides across the nation in 2000.
The AAS, however, said those numbers represent only a portion of the problem. They contend that for every death by suicide, there are 25 attempts, adding up to about 734,000 suicide attempts each year.
McMillen said the warning signs include direct and indirect threats of suicide, expressions of hopelessness, changes in behavior, hallucinations or bizarre thoughts and sudden cheerfulness after a period of depression.
McMillen said that age should not be the focus of any discussion about suicide and that age statistics depend largely on the area. Depression happens to all types and ages of people, she stressed.
However, because many adolescents experience stress more intensely, parents and other adults should know what to do if they think a child is suicidal. Experts said that nobody should be afraid to ask a child if he is depressed or thinking about death, and one should always listen to a child’s thoughts in a caring and respectful manner.
“Let them know that you care and want to help,” said McMillen, noting that the same kind of attention is needed for depressed adults, perhaps on a different level.
She advised that the most important thing a person can do to prevent a suicide attempt is to take the initiative to get help.
McMillen said Chestnut Ridge receives many patients through referrals of family and friends, and in the cases of children, they may be pushed into counseling through their schools because of behavioral problems. She said the agency has been able to help many of its patients, often without medication.
“We try to help them deal with their problems through therapy sessions first,” said McMillen. “Medication can seem like a quick fix, and while it lessens the symptoms of depression, it doesn’t take care of the problem. People need to learn to cope so that they won’t become dependent on antidepressants.”
McMillen noted that while the agency’s staff must speak with the person who is being referred, there are cases in which someone who desperately needs help will refuse to get it.
“In that case, the family can petition for an order to force them into counseling,” said McMillen.
Experts also recommend removing any means by which suicidal people could harm themselves.
Janet Johns, executive director of the Beaver Valley Crisis Center, part of the Kristen Brooks Hope Center (KBHC), said stress plays a big role in suicides.
“I think it is because the stresses in life keep multiplying as time goes on,” said Johns. “Many people become depressed because of losses they have experienced or because they see themselves as failures.”
While many people focus on teen suicides, it’s also a common problem among older adults. According to AAS statistics, adults 75 to 84 years old had the highest rate of suicides in 1990, with 24.9 per 100,000 people. The highest rate for 2000 was among adults 85 and older at 19.2 per 100,000.
Johns said it is important, though, not to focus on any particular age group when talking about depression and suicide.
“It is important to stay away from age statistics, because people of all ages become depressed for different reasons,” said Johns.
She also said it is critical for a depressed person to get professional help.
“If you are having feelings of hopelessness, it is important to talk to someone about it,” said Johns, adding that in most cases, when suicidal people call the KBHC’s Hopeline, counselors can talk them through their desperate time.
“Most depressed people don’t want to die. They only want their pain to end,” she said.
AAS officials said programs should be implemented to reduce the isolation of youth that comes about by various means, such as bullying. They said that by preventing problems with peers that make youth feel bad about themselves, they could keep children from ever experiencing depression because of isolation.
The AAS also recommended that all communities should provide easier access to health and mental health services. These precautions could eliminate some causes of stress before they ever take place.
McMillen said Fayette County will provide funding for mental health services for people with no insurance.
“We will not deny anyone,” said McMillen. “Nobody who needs help will be turned away.”
She said the crisis center is not exclusively for Chestnut Ridge patients, and anyone can call it at any time. For anyone experiencing depression or who knows someone who is, trained telephone counselors can be reached at 724-437-1003. The National Hopeline Network at 800-SUICIDE also will connect the caller with a counselor in the local area.
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For further information on treating depression and preventing suicide, access the AAS Web site at www.suicidology.org.