Suicide is a subject that many people are uncomfortable discussing openly, which is a shame. No stigma should be attached to it, and certainly no shame.
The incident that occurred last Sunday on the pedway that spans St. Albert Trail is a stark reminder that suicide (or attempting it) affects more than just one person. The man involved could have harmed himself, emergency personnel or the public if he had fallen from the pedway and struck anyone below. Many police officers, firefighters and paramedics attended and thankfully, the situation ended without tragedy. The investment of public resources into the incident was substantial.
More importantly, the compassionate side of the issue should be of concern to the community. That’s where media coverage of suicide issues is vital even though it flies in the face of the traditional “suicide should be swept under the carpet” attitude prevalent in so many media organizations. Community members should ask themselves, how did this situation evolve? How did this fellow come to the decision he did, to endanger himself and others? Could it have been avoided? How does his family and loved ones cope with the incident? Does St. Albert have the resources to help people avoid these situations?
Many Albertans think suicide is an insignificant problem that affects only a few people every year. Not true. To openly discuss suicide, one must accept the fact that it’s rather common in Alberta. In fact, a 2001 study from the Alberta Mental Health Board showed Alberta, one of the wealthiest provinces in Canada, has one of the highest rates of suicide in the country.
According to Alberta Health Services, “Suicide is consistently a leading cause of death among Albertans. Suicide claims more lives annually than other more openly discussed issues such as motor vehicle collisions, AIDS or homicides.”
Mental health issues are closely linked to suicide. The American Psychological Society dedicated its World Mental Health Day, 2006, to the link between mental illness and suicide, while the Canadian Mental Health Society recognizes the link. “Experts report that from 20 per cent to 60 per cent of the deaths by suicide occur among people who have a mood disorder,” stated the CMHS on its website.
Why is suicide part of this community? That’s a complex question, and one that probably has as many answers as there are people involved. But one provincial program called SafeTALK, a program geared towards getting everyone in the community involved in spotting suicidal behaviour and suicidal thoughts, has a surprisingly simple response. Those who attempt but don’t die by suicide have been interviewed about their experience. When asked why they did it, many responded, “Because I had no one to talk to.”
Making suicide a taboo subject only exacerbates the loneliness one feels. It’s time to remove the stigma and confront this important social issue.
