Suicide Prevention through safeTalk™
“You can stop a suicide”
The tragedy of a suicide is not only the loss of life, but also the missed opportunity to help. In most suicide situations at least one attempt was made to reach out for help and struggling person’s words or subtle signs are frequently missed, dismissed or avoided. All signs and suicide attempts should be taken seriously.
Utah ranks in the top ten for age-adjusted suicides, fifth for youth suicides in the nation, and is the seventh-leading cause of death for ages ten and older. On August 19, 2015, a 16 year old young man with a promising future committed suicide in his home and a couple weeks prior, another young woman in Utah County. Between 2011 to 2013, Utah had the highest rates of suicide deaths, with 20.6 per 100,000 population while the national rate was 12.9 per 100,000 and is known as the “suicide belt” state.
Suicides that are carried out are only part of the problem. The people who suicide attempts are suffering from severe depression, addiction, and other mental health problems. More people are hospitalized and treated in an emergency room for suicide attempts; in 2012 there were 2,743 emergency room visits and over 1,600 hospitalizations for self-inflicted injuries. This complex issue is not openly discussed which victims and family members are stigmatized making it difficult to collect the data that is crucial to suicide prevention.
Mountain View Outpatient Mental Health and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention presents Answers, a free seminar series on Suicide Prevention. This course will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Friday, September 11, 2015 in the Medical Plaza Classroom, at Mountain View Hospital. This seminar will be presented by Taryn Aiken, Utah’s Chair Founder for the American of Suicide Prevention. After the suicide of her father and surviving her own multiple attempts to take her life, Taryn has dedicated her life to suicide prevention and is a certified safeTALK TM and CONNECT Posttension Trainer. For the past 10 years Taryn has facilitated hundreds of seminars, sharing the warning signs, risk factors for suicidal ideation. Taryn strongly believes that through education about mental disorders we can dispel the myths and stigma that keep people from seeking help; furthermore, she will share tools to help build resiliency in our communities.
To register go to mvpsych.com, call (801) 465-7178 or email candice.davies@mountainstarhealth.com.
Mountain View Outpatient Mental Health encourages anyone to attend whether or not they have been directly impacted by a suicide or suicide attempt. Help stop this growing problem in Utah and save a life.
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