A little bit of suicide awareness can go a long way

Reducing the risk of suicide means eliminate the stigma of mental illness and improving awareness of the signs and symptoms of individuals at risk.

Now national and state experts across the country are working to educate individuals on the need for increased access to mental health treatment and services to reduce the risk of suicide.

Now that National Suicide Prevention Week has just passed, professionals say it's particularly important to bring awareness to suicide prevention this year

Statistics show that suicide rates in America for males and females aged 10-24 climbed 8 percent in 2007, the largest single one-year rise in 15 years, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.

In addition, this is an extremely important time to bring awareness and education to military personnel, retired veterans and their loved ones because of the alarming rise in the suicide rate among veterans returning from war, professionals say.

According to national statistics, a young person commits suicide every two hours, making it the third leading cause of death for those under the age of 24. Every two hours, a teenager takes his own life.

In 2005, more than 6,250 U.S. veterans committed suicide and the rate at which veterans took their own lives was double that of the non-veteran population, with the youngest veterans returning from occupied Iraq and Afghanistan the most likely to commit suicide.

“While we must not romanticize suicide, we also must not ignore it. If we do so out of fear or shame, we lose the opportunity to take steps to prevent future tragedies,” said Debra L. Wentz, chief executive officer of the New Jersey Association of Mental Health Agencies (NJAMHA), which represents 125 nonprofit community mental health care providers.

“We should all be alert to the signs and symptoms and be aware of available resources in case we believe a friend or a loved one is at risk. And we must ensure that there is timely access to treatment when an individual is in need,” said Wentz.

She said many of these tragedies could be prevented through "timely, effective mental health treatment and services."

"With appropriate treatment, individuals with mental illnesses can lead full, successful lives,” she said.

NJAMHA advocates to state legislators and policymakers, urging that the New Jersey and federal budgets allocate sufficient funding to ensure continued provision of services to consumers already in treatment programs, as well as many more who can wait as long as five months for an appointment.

Wentz said that the risk of suicide can increase while individuals endure long waits for services and their mental health deteriorates.

“Mental illnesses are very real illnesses, just like any physical disease, and must not be treated differently," she said. "Such awareness and understanding should lead to the elimination of discrimination in funding and insurance coverage and the stigma that hampers individuals from seeking the help they need."