Mental health is a major concern for many and one of the biggest issues that can result from it is suicide.
Many specialists and organizations across the globe have come together to take up the mantle of helping spread awareness of the challenges people face when dealing with suicide and thoughts of it.
The International Association of Suicide Prevention (ISAP) and the Canadian Association of Suicide Prevention (CASP) are some of the major ones joining in the effort to help.
CASP has been an advocate for prevention and has a goal to see a Canada without suicide.
Pat Doyle, CASP's community education and engagement coordinator, said ISAP launched a new theme for this year’s World Suicide Prevention Day and it will continue for the next three years.
“Changing the narrative on suicide. It’s really important that we communicate about that theme,” she said.
“That theme is important because how we communicate about suicide has impacts,” especially in connection with how it is told in media. Doyle said.
How suicide is portrayed to people can sway their perception of whether to feel hopeful or helpless.
Suicide can be a difficult subject matter to discuss and often can be dismissed or ignored by people who do not feel capable of handling it.
A 2022 survey of the University of Guelph students for the National College Health Assessment found that among the 1,082 respondents, 31.9 per cent reported having anxiety and 23.4 per cent of students said they had depression. These were the two highest reported mental health illnesses which have increased at least five per cent each since the pandemic in 2019.
COVID-19's lockdown left many confined to their homes, and the media was one of the few outlets available to them.
“We all have a role to play in preventing suicide and promoting life,” Doyle said as she brought up how media has affected suicide.
The television drama series 13 Reasons Why was released in 2017 with four seasons that follow protagonist Clay Jenson and the reason why his friend ended her life.
This series caused an increase in suicide rates and self-harm in young people after it aired. The National Institute of Mental Health in the U.S. reported a 28.9 per cent increase in suicides among youths aged 10 to 17 in the month of the show's release.
However, American rapper, Logic and a song he released nearly a month after the first episode of 13 Reasons Why aired benefited those seeking help.
The song is called 1-800-273-8255, named after the U.S. National Suicide Prevention lifeline.
In Canada, anyone seeking help is urged to call the 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline. It provides 24/7/365, trauma-informed and culturally appropriate suicide prevention crisis support in English and French by phone and text for Canadians.
“We just may not know what our role is but by creating awareness around the impacts of story sharing is just one example.” Doyle said.
That is why it is so important to have people to go to and have these discussions with for those in need and those who are willing to listen. The Humber Peer and Wellness service hosted a seminar on SafeTalk, a training program to bring awareness about suicide and provide a learning course on approaching the subject for attendees.
Director of Student Wellbeing, Leah State, led the training program as she went into detail about safe talk, and how to approach and handle conversations during these challenging times.
“How to identify people with thoughts of suicide and how to connect people with thoughts of suicide to a suicide first aid helper,” State said during her presentation.
She said people with suicidal thoughts can show various signs during times of stress, some more apparent than others. Some may pull away and become closed off, others could become more vocal and angered quickly if pushed.
Having people who are aware and trained to understand the signs is a much-needed skill, especially in post-secondary settings.
“You’re not the chain; you are the link in the chain.” State said.
SafeTalk stands for Suicide Safeness for Everyone and Talk stands for Tell, Ask, Listen and Keep Safe.
Throughout the seminar, State taught Humber students and staff how to handle and approach talking about suicide, even providing outlets to contact for help.
This is not the only time when people can come together and learn or talk about suicide, bringing awareness about it and some prevention methods.
CASP is hosting a national suicide prevention conference in May at Richmond Hill, Ont.
There will also be a pre-conference day called Healing Day, for people with lived experience of suicide and clinicians also have felt the impacts.
“The more people that come and learn about suicide prevention, the bigger our army is to get to that zero suicide in Canada,” Doyle said.
There are many resources to get in contact with and make connections to if needed at Humber.
The Student Wellness and Accessibility Centre is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 6: 30 p.m. at the Welcome Centre, second floor of Lakeshore campus and the LRC Building, second floor of the North campus.
The general phone number is 416-675-8500. For emergencies, call: 416.675.6622 ext. 4000.
Good2Talk’s phone number is 866-925-5454 and the Toronto Distress Centre is 416-408-4537.
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