Utah continues to have one of the highest suicide rates in the country, but experts say each of us can play a role in helping someone through a crisis.
September is Suicide Prevention Month, and Clint Thurgood, Director of Crisis Services at Intermountain Health said it's important recognize when someone may need help and start a potentially lifesaving conversation.
“There are three significant risk factors: changes to physical health, changes to finances and changes in relationships,” Thurgood said.
Problems involving health, money or personal relationships can leave someone feeling vulnerable, depressed or embarrassed to ask for help. That is when friends, family members and others can step in.
“We all have that ability to connect and to be available and be present for someone who’s experiencing that crisis,” Thurgood said.
If you are worried about someone, Thurgood recommends asking directly whether they are considering suicide.
“And that simple question is, ‘Are you having thoughts of suicide?’” he said. “Asking the question does not encourage suicide or plant an idea, but it often opens the doorway.”
Asking directly can show the person that someone cares and is willing to listen without judgment.
“You are a safe person. You care about what I’m experiencing,” Thurgood said.
Suicidal crises can escalate quickly. Thurgood said the decision to attempt suicide is often made within minutes, making it important to create time and distance between a person in crisis and anything they could use to hurt themselves.
In Utah, that often means temporarily removing firearms from the home or making sure they are securely stored and inaccessible to anyone experiencing a crisis.
“When people use a firearm as a method of suicide, unfortunately, most times it does result in the person’s death,” Thurgood said.
Thurgood also encouraged people to challenge the stigma surrounding clinical depression and its treatment. Medication can be an important part of a person’s path toward better mental health.
“When someone is on medication, I think part of that conversation and to battle that stigma is to recognize that medication is part of someone’s journey to have health,” he said.
Intermountain Health operates behavioral health access centers at McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden, LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Alta View Hospital in Sandy and St. George Regional Hospital. People experiencing a serious behavioral health crisis can walk in for immediate support.
Thurgood said people struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts should know that recovery is possible.
“There’s hope for management and there’s hope for healing,” he said. “And there’s hope for happiness.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health or suicide crisis, call or text 988 or visit the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to chat with a trained crisis counselor. The service is free, confidential and available 24 hours a day. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.
