September has been declared Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month, and this week has been declared as Suicide Prevention Week in Alaska. The state is offering two free online seminars to help with the prevention of suicide.
Alaska has consistently had one of the highest suicide rates in the nation since the National Violent Death Reporting System began in 2003, and the incidence of suicide in Alaska has increased considerably in recent years. Last year, the state Department of Health and Social Services released an information bulletin stating that 1,103 people killed themselves between 2012-17.
During that time frame, Alaska’s suicide rate was either the first or second highest in the nation. Suicide was the leading cause of death among Alaskans aged 10–64 years and is the sixth leading cause of death overall in the state, according to the bulletin.
The highest rates by sex and age were among males aged 20–24 years and 70–74 years and females aged 20–24 years. The highest rates by race were among American Indian/Alaska Native.
The state is offering two online seminars to educate Alaskans about suicide and how to prevent it. The first seminar will be on Thursday, September 10, which is QPR training. That means how to Question, Persuade, and Refer someone who may be suicidal, including how to get help for yourself, learning the common causes of suicidal behavior, and how to get help for someone in crisis. The meeting will be held via the Zoom online platform from noon until 1:00 p.m. More information can be found via their online flyer.
The second webinar discusses why mental well-being and suicide prevention are leadership issues, particularly in construction. With Alaska’s statistical rate of suicide being so consistently high, the session focuses on why leaders at all levels in Alaska should be able to break the stigma of mental health, illustrate why mental health is a workplace issue, and more suicide prevention issues. Fishing, construction, mining, forestry and manufacturing are industries at higher risk, according to the Associated General Contractors of Alaska. The webinar will be on September 16 at 10:30 a.m. Registration takes place online.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can: call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
