September is Suicide Prevention Month but September 10th is known as World Suicide Prevention Day. If you receive our newsletters, we published a special excerpt from the Hawaii State Department of Health (copied below) to address suicide and the ways you can help yourself or someone you know and love. On this day and always, please be sure to know the signs and reach out to someone if you or someone you love needs help.
We can all agree safety and injury prevention are top priorities for most employers. However, suicide prevention is often not addressed or talked about regularly as a part of the safety regulations. We have made significant improvement in raising awareness and enhancing suicide prevention efforts, notably the roll out of 988 Lifeline across the nation, but suicide remains a highly stigmatized and complex issue.
In Hawaii, 1053 residents died from suicide between 2019 – 2023. Suicide is the second leading cause of fatal injuries in Hawaii, more than homicide, falls, drowning, and motor vehicle combined [1]. According to CDC, construction and extraction are major occupation groups with the highest suicide rates using data from 2021 National Vital Statistics System [2]. I once visited a construction site and asked workers there, “please raise your hand if you have lost someone to suicide.” Every single person raised their hands. It is something that impacts us all, and it needs to be addressed by all of us. It must be a shared responsibility of every person, every family, every worksite, every community, and every society. The good news is the industry has caught on and is striving to make positive changes to prevent suicide.
In 2024, Construction Industry Alliance and United Suicide Survivors International published the Construction Working Minds White Paper, which outlined the road map to increase positive trends in construction mental health. They are a) leadership buy-in, b) cultivating a company culture of caring, c) human connection leading to compassionate awareness and understanding, d) education, training, and development, e) proliferation of resources, f) structured peer support, g) industry-specific research initiatives [3].
Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH), EMS & Injury Prevention System Branch offers a free and anonymous online suicide prevention training called Question Persuade Refer (QPR). Anyone can take QPR and learn ways to recognize and refer someone at risk of suicide [4]. Since 2022, Hawaii CARES 988 has provided free support services 24/7 through phone, text, and chat for help with crisis, mental health, and substance use [5]. It is anonymous and a great resource for anyone in need of behavioral health care needs.
We can all do our part in preventing suicide, starting with talking about suicide, normalizing mental health care, and viewing help seeking as a sign of strength. We can reduce the stigma of suicide by educating ourselves and our loved ones and debunking the myth of suicide. We can be kind to ourselves and our neighbors, since pain isn’t always obvious. Suicide prevention is a shared responsibility, and together we can make a difference.
Sincerely,
Zerui Renee Yu, MPH, LMHC, ATR
DOH | Emergency Medical Services & Injury Prevention System Branch
Links to resources:
https://health.hawaii.gov/emsipsb/injury-prevention/suicide-prevention/qpr/
https://hicares.hawaii.gov/
References
[1] Galanis, Danielle. Hawaii Suicide Year End Data Presentation. Hawaii State Department of Health, Emergency Medical Services and Injury Prevention System Branch.
[2] Suicide Rates by Industry and Occupation – National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2021 [2023]. Website. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7250a2.htm
[3] Construction Working Minds White Paper [2024]. Mental health, Suicide Prevention, Addiction Recovery & Overdose Prevention in the Construction Industry. Website. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e865c3366922b230fc54525/t/65fa210f9b039e6636c926ff/1710891291923/20240315-FINAL-FINAL-CWM-White-Paper.pdf
[4] Hawaii State Department of Health, Emergency Medical Services & Injury Prevention System Branch [2024]. Website. https://health.hawaii.gov/emsipsb/injury-prevention/suicide-prevention/qpr/
[5] Hawaii CARES 988 [2024]. Website. https://hicares.hawaii.gov/
