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By Julie Whittaker

For the Enterprise

Suicide is the act of intentionally taking one’s life.

Suicide is a serious public health problem that can have long-lasting effects on individuals, families, and communities.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth in North Carolina ages 10 to 18, and the third leading cause of death for those ages 19 to 34. Suicide deaths are only part of the problem. More people survive suicide attempts than those who die, and they are often seriously injured and need medical care.

Suicides are preventable, and 90% of people who attempt a suicide and survive do not go on to die by suicide. Suicides can be prevented by recognizing signs and symptoms, learning how to help, and taking steps to provide that help to people of all ages and abilities in need.

Davie County is experiencing a concerning number of suicides so far in 2024. The usual annual number was reached in less than 6 months. We should all be concerned.

About 30% had a depressed mood, 67.5 % had a current mental health problem, 36.5 % were in mental health treatment, 21% had a history of suicide attempts, 24.1% left a note, and 6% had experienced the death of family or friends.

If you have a relative, friend or co-worker with similar circumstances, consider taking a suicide prevention course.

Any of us can make efforts to prevent more such deaths. Easy, free, less than two-hour trainings are already available, called QPR Suicide Prevention Training.

Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help.

We believe that at least one person per family unit should be trained in QPR.

In QPR Suicide Prevention Training you will learn to:

• recognize the warning signs of suicide;

• know how to offer hope; and

• know how to get help and save a life.

Partners Behavioral Health Management offers free community trainings. Free Virtual Training Classes are offered on these dates this summer:

• June 27, 2:-4 p.m. on Zoom; and

• July 18, 2-4 p.m. on Zoom.

To register for either class, visit https://www.partnersbhm.org/event-calendar-training/. Find the date you are interested in, click on the QPR and a registration form will pop-up. A link will be sent to join the class at the appropriate date and time.

Partners offers other courses free of charge to anyone. Our community can also request in-person group trainings to be facilitated by Partners training staff.

The Community Training Catalog with more information is available at: https://www.partnerstraining.org/community-training-catalog/.

Finally, if online training is not your preference, save the date for an in-person QPR Suicide Prevention Training being organized for Tuesday, July 23, at 6 p.m. at the Davie County Public Library’s History Room.

Keep an eye out for the details and registration information.