September is Suicide Prevention Month
If you’ve lived long enough, then you’ve probably been affected by the news of someone’s passing by suicide. Maybe it was a loved one, whether a family member or a close friend. Maybe you were shocked to hear the passing of a celebrity like Robin Williams, Shoki Mokgapa, Lee Thompson Young, Jarrid Wilson, or Anthony Bourdain.
According to the World Health Organization, suicide is the 17th leading cause of death worldwide, the 10th most common cause of death in the United States, and the 2nd leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 34 years old (CDC).
Every 40 seconds, someone loses their life to suicide. But unlike other leading causes of death, suicide is 100% preventable.
Suicide occurs across all demographics (e.g. age, gender, education-level, etc.) and mental illness is but one of a myriad of other catalysts that can lead a person to consider suicide, others include:
Relationship problems
Stress from financial, legal or other issues
Substance abuse
Job situation
Bullying
Discrimination
Violence
And for every successful suicide attempt, there are 25 attempts that are unsuccessful.
How You Can Help
First, if you are someone who is having thoughts about harming yourself, know that help is available.
You are not alone.
If you want to talk by text, then text HELLO to the Crisis Line (open a new text message and type in 741741). OR call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Both services are free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Pain isn’t always obvious. People can feel isolated and alone even when they are around family and friends.
And sometimes, even those of us with great intentions, may not know the best way to reach out to someone we are concerned about.
So what can be done?
Our answer is to lead with listening and sincerity. Check-in with the people in your community. If you see warning signs and have concerns, be direct:
“How are you coping with what's been happening in your life?”
“Does it ever get so tough that you think about hurting yourself?”
And if a person tells you they are thinking about suicide, tell them that help is available and reassure them that they are not alone and that you’re going to get through this together:
“I hear that you’re struggling. I love you no matter what. We’re going to get through this together. Right now, I think we should talk to someone who can help you get through this.”
Suicide Prevention Week
To raise awareness around suicide prevention, Findlay House Global is observing the National Week of Suicide Prevention (September 5th - 11th, 2021) and World Suicide Prevention Day (Friday 10 September 2021) with a week of challenges shared via social media to fuel awareness and educate as many people as possible, because suicide is 100% preventable.
Join the challenge! And click on an image to download it and share it to social media. Or click here to download all the images.
Suicide and Development
Suicide is a serious public health problem. And to address it we must consider the contributing factors (including economic and environmental stressors) that impact the mental and emotional well-being of communities.
The field of Development is concerned with using resources to improve the standard of living and well-being of people. And although in the U.S. $247 billion is spent on mental wellness for youth and their families, marginalized youth are less likely to receive care for their depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Young people who are also exposed to violence and racial discrimination are at even greater risk for suicidal thoughts and attempts. Because of the stigma around mental health, marginalized youth often wait until they are suicidal before they seek help. Thus, supportive environments in the family, at school and in the wider community are of critical importance.
Number 3 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals is to “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all, at all ages.” And one of the targets (Target 3.4) is to reduce premature mortality by one third, including through prevention, treatment, and promotion of mental health and well-being.
In The News: The Taliban Take Over Afghanistan
On Sunday, 15 August, 2021 U.S. backed Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled Afghanistan resulting in the official and uncontested take over of the country by the Taliban - a militant group.
Many of us watched in horror yesterday (16 August 2021) via our television and smart devices as chaos erupted at the Kabul airport as people stormed the tarmac and clung to airplanes that were already taxiing for take off.
Pause for a moment and consider the level of desperation a person would have to feel that they would rather risk life and limb than be left behind.
So why are people fleeing the country?
With U.S. troops set to withdraw from the country by the end of the month, Afghans are worried about what life will look like now that Afghanistan is back under Taliban control.
Why has the Taliban take over been uncontested?
In 2020, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a deal with the Taliban that limited U.S. military action against the militant group. And although USD 2 trillion dollars were spent to equip the Afghan military the security forces collapsed within a week.
Why you may ask?
Corruption and Profit. See below the tweet from retired U.S. Army Major Richard Ojeda.
2 trillion dollars to train and equip the Afghan military over the past 20 years. They fell in a week. It was never about real training. It was about military contractors and corporations raking in the profits. I am numb. I am sure everyone who spent years there feels the same!
— Richard N. Ojeda, II (@Ojeda4America) August 15, 2021
It’s not clear what will happen next but many in the international development community fear that this will continue to lead to a severe rollback in the basic humanitarian rights that have been afforded to women and girls.
When the Taliban was last in power (1996-2001) women could only be seen in public with a male escort and girls couldn’t attend school. Violations were met with punishments that ranged from beating to execution. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has reported that since 1 May 2021—when troop withdrawal plans began moving forward—women and children civilian deaths increased and made up 46% of all civilian deaths in the months of May and June.
Nearly 250,000 people have been displaced since the end of May, fleeing their homes in fear of the Taliban, 80% of those people have been women and children.
It’s a devastating time for the people of Afghanistan. It’s unclear of what kind of interventions will be able to take place under Taliban rule, so for now all we can do is watch and look for ways to support those who are already on the inside.
For More Information Read:
NPR’s What Women’s Advocacy Groups Worldwide Are Doing For Women In Afghanistan
AP’s Afghan Take Over: What We Know and What’s Next
In The News: Earthquake in Haiti
In The News: Earthquake in Haiti
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Haiti on Saturday, 14 August 2021. The earthquake comes just more than a decade after the island was devastated by another earthquake in 2010. The cities of Les Cayes and Jeremie— which were already still recovering from 2016’s Hurricane Matthew—were the hardest hit by the earthquake.
And Tropical Storm Grace battered the country with up to 10 inches of rain on Monday, 16 August 2021. The death toll has already topped 1,400 people, and rescue efforts have been made all the more difficult with the rain.
In our line of work we see how easy it can be to reduce people to a data point—a number. And so we consider it to be of critical importance to take a moment to let the lives that are connected to that number 1,400 sink in. That is 1,400 births, with a great amount being to parents who likely welcomed their arrival with joy. That is 1,400 people with stories, histories, a real presence, who will now be missed by loved ones, and whose love in return will also be absent. We can rightly assume that the vast majority of those 1,400 people had hopes, and dreams, and were doing the best they could to survive the best they knew how, holding on to even a sliver of belief that the future held the possibility of something better. And all of that was ripped away in one unexpected moment. We hope that you feel the weight of such a devastating loss. Because these are real people with names, families, histories and loved ones.
If you are moved to help, we recommend seeking out those organizations that have representation on their staff and board, as well as those who will prove that 100% or close to 100% of donations will go directly to critical assistance in the country.
The earthquake has only added to the nation’s fragile state, as early last month President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated. Billions of dollars in aid (including $2.3 billion from the U.S. Agency for International Development since 2010) have been sent to the Caribbean island yet the country continues to find itself in a cycle of despair. It’s not a lack of resources, but a lack of responsiveness to the needs of the people. When Haitian nationals who have solutions and ideas to help their community are not brought in and consulted but instead are ignored, it leads to a misuse of funds and resources.
This is why re-powering development is so important, and why impacted peoples should be at the forefront, leading development activities.