Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death in Thurston County

In a proclamation by county commissioners, Thurston County recognized suicide as one of the leading causes of death for young people between 10-17 years old and remains the 8th leading cause of death among its residents.

To address the issue, the county declared the month of September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. “Suicide prevention is a priority,” Health & Social Services Department Senior Epidemiologist Mary Ann O'Garro shared in her presentation for the Thurston County Board of Health meeting on Tue., Sept. 14.

Young people are at risk

 Director of Father Engagement at Family Education and Support Services, Keoki Kauanoe reported that suicide rates in the country have increased by 30 percent. He added that for the state of Washington, the rates are higher by 11 percent.

In Thurston County, one in five sixth graders have considered taking their own life. In addition, one in every four 10th graders have also thought about suicide.

Clinical Director for Community Youth Services Scott Hanauer shared that over the years, the number of young people who are taking their own lives have raised community concerns. “We started Thurston Youth Alive about 3 years ago...what got our attention is in the spring of 2018, [when] three young people died by suicide, and two of those kids were nine years old. They were not accidents, these were kids that had a plan, and had the means,” Hanauer said.

Kauanoe also noted that young people who identify themselves as members of the LGBTQIA community are also more at risk of suicide. Aside from the youth, the county listed that active duty service members and military veterans at risk. In fact, every other day, one veteran dies by suicide in the state of Washington. 

Question, Persuade, Refer -- to help prevent suicide

 To mitigate the risks, the health and social services department has focused their efforts on suicide prevention. The county recognizes that while there is no singular cause for suicide, there are warning signs. With this, the department has launched the Question, Persuade. Refer (QPR) training.

 O’Garro explained that QPR provides 90 minutes of training to help volunteers identify the signs, and reach out to their fellow community members who were struggling with suicidal ideations. Hanauer and Kauanoe are also working as trainers for the QPR program.

Volunteers for the program do not need a clinical license to participate. So far, they were able to train a total of 650 participants within the region, most of which are coming from high-risk communities. “What we’ve learned is that suicide is very close to a lot of people,” Hanauer said.

The staff also believed that suicide prevention begins with the simplest acts. Kauanoe shared that while members of the LGBTQIA community remains at risk, acceptance of their preferred pronouns drastically decreases such risks. “Having that awareness put out in the community has a difference for our children,” the Director said.

O’Garro shared that listening also helps people who are struggling with suicidal thoughts. “That helps us prevent stigma by acknowledging the fact that many people contemplate suicide. One of the ways to prevent suicide is to talk about suicide, to acknowledge the fact that there is something that we can do around this particular area by openly and directly addressing [it],” the county staff stated.

Currently, Hanauer noted that the QPR training is targeted at the youth. “That’s always been kind of a dream of ours is to train young people because they oftentimes know who in their community, who in their school, who in their neighborhood is at risk before adults do,” he concluded.

There are many resources for people contemplating suicide. If you or anyone you know is dealing with this, here are some choices, some available both by voice and text:

• The Veterans Crisis Line is available 24/7 at either 1-800-273-8255 x 1, or by texting 838255. It is available to all Veterans, all service members and their family members and friends.
• Call 360-586-2800 to reach the Crisis Clinic of Thurston and Mason Counties.
• The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a certified listener, call 1-800-273-8255.
• Crisis Text Line is a texting service for emotional crisis support. To speak with a trained listener, text HELLO to 741741. It is free, available 24/7, and confidential.