Suicide Prevention Story Archives - Page 2 of 3 - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

The Cost Of Fatal Self-Injury In W.Va.

Self-injury deaths cost the United States more than $1 trillion a year in medical expenses according to new West Virginia University research.

The study is the final in a series of three by WVU School of Public Health, examining fatal self-injury. The first traced the rapid geographic growth of fatal self-injury across the country and the second study identified the underutilization of labor and manufacturing employment.

“The cost study is a logical extension of these prior studies since cost is the bottom line in characterizing the burden of injury deaths of despair to the country and individual states,” said Ian Rockett, professor emeritus with the WVU School of Public Health and lead investigator on the study.

For this third and final study, Rockett’s team analyzed data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and compared changes over a 20-year period from 1999 to 2000, to 2018 to 2019.

“I really think there is a reluctance at the societal level, too, and it’s where you really need to be spending in terms of treatment and prevention,” Rockett said. “And sometimes it’s a certain amount now, or pay a whole lot more later. There actually is a huge disparity in terms of expenditures on substance abuse.”

The research team found estimated national costs of self-injury mortality rose by 143 percent from $0.46 trillion to $1.12 trillion over that same 20-year period.

Estimating the economic costs of self-injury mortality can inform health planning and clinical and public health interventions, according to Rockett.

“Survivors, so family members, or the descendants often carry huge burdens related to guilt and shame and blame. And it’s across the gamut. And they may be shunned, or they may self isolate themselves, they become at higher risk for suicide [themselves]. And so they’re also real ripple effects. Friends, work, acquaintances – acquaintances are affected, too. And the tendency is for people not to talk very much about it, either, which is understandable. But unfortunately, it contributes to suicide being underestimated as a problem.”

While national per capita costs of self-injury mortality doubled from $1,638 to $3,413, West Virginia exhibited the largest per capita cost per death, losing $6,534 per person annually.

Free Care Now Available For Veterans In Crisis

Veterans in suicidal crisis can go to any VA or non-VA health care facility for free emergency health care and veterans do not need to be enrolled in the VA system to use these benefits.

Veterans in suicidal crisis can go to any Veterans Affairs or non-VA health care facility for free emergency health care and do not need to be enrolled in the VA system to use these benefits.

This expansion in access to care will increase access to acute suicide care for up to nine million veterans who are not currently enrolled in VA health care.

Sara Yoke is the public affairs officer for the Beckley VA Medical Center. She said West Virginia has four medical centers and several VA outpatient clinics, allowing all West Virginia veterans to use this new benefit.

“When a veteran is in crisis, they’re not completely in the right headspace to be thinking about, ‘Oh, I need to do this, then this and this,’” Yoke said. “So this expansion makes it so that any veteran, whether they’re enrolled in VA or not, can go to any health care facility, at the VA or in the community, if they’re in a suicidal crisis for free emergency health care.”

Programs such as this aim to prevent veteran suicide by guaranteeing care at no cost, including inpatient or crisis residential care for up to 30 days and outpatient care for up to 90 days.

“I think having these ongoing programs, in addition to what we already offer, I think it’s really making a difference in reducing the number of veteran suicides,” Yoke said. “And we work really closely with our community partners, because it takes a community effort to educate on what to do if a veteran is in crisis, what someone can do, but also what programs are available.”

In September, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs released its 2022 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, which showed that veteran suicides decreased in 2020 for the second year in a row, and that fewer veterans died by suicide in 2020 than in any year since 2006.

“Veterans in suicidal crisis can now receive the free, world-class emergency health care they deserve – no matter where they need it, when they need it, or whether they’re enrolled in VA care,” said Denis McDonough, U.S. secretary for Veterans Affairs. “This expansion of care will save veterans’ lives, and there’s nothing more important than that.”

Resources Available To Prevent Veteran Suicide In Southern W.Va.

The Beckley VA Medical Center wants more people to know about the resources available to prevent veteran suicide. Suicide rates among veterans are more than 50 percent higher than civilian adults. The VA is hosting events in September, which is Suicide Prevention Month.

Sixteen veterans on average take their own life each day. Data from 2020 shows that 6,146 veterans died by suicide that year. The number has been declining since 2006 but there’s still more work to do.

This month, and throughout the year, veterans can find help at VA hospitals across the country, including in Beckley, West Virginia.

Beckley VA is partnering with Active Southern West Virginia to host a walk at Little Beaver State Park next week. Anyone can join the Suicide Prevention walk on Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 2 p.m.

On the national level, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Ad Council centralized a website called VA.gov/REACH, where veterans can find resources to help. There are also images available to download and share on social media to help spread the word.

The campaign “Don’t Wait. Reach Out” encourages veterans to do just that.

Civilians can also help by checking in with the veterans in their life and encouraging them to reach out if they need support.

Help is available at Beckley VAMC for veterans year round. Learn more by visiting Beckley VA’s website and the Beckley VA on Facebook.

W.Va. Receives More Than 850 Calls To New Suicide Prevention Call Line

West Virginia recently switched to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number. The easy to remember three digit number has since proven successful.

As of Tuesday, Aug. 9, the new 988 suicide and crisis lifeline had received 855 calls.

Christina Mullins, commissioner of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) Bureau for Behavioral Health, said she is pleased with what she termed a “modest” increase in calls for help.

“I think what is really important and a good sign of the transition itself is that our answer rate for July was at 93 percent to keeping our calls in-state so we have a better chance of connecting our residents to in-state resources.”

The number serves as a universal entry point to immediately connect people in distress with a trained crisis counselor. With options for voice calls, chat and text — the line is easily accessible.

The state also offers mobile crisis services for children and crisis teams for adults. As the state reimagines its crisis response system, Mullins said the next step is finding a physical location to send people who need help to, such as a walk-in urgent care center for mental health.

988: Shorter Crisis Lifeline Debuts Saturday

On Saturday, the U.S. will transition to 988: a three-digit suicide and crisis hotline. The change is the first step in reimagining crisis support.

Since 2005, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255 has helped people experiencing mental health-related distress by connecting them directly to locally operated and funded crisis centers.

On July 16, the 11 digit number will be swapped out for the easy-to-remember 988.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Lifeline volume has grown to more than 3 million calls, chats, and texts. The number of calls to the Lifeline is expected to at least double after the change.

The hotline is designed not only for those experiencing suicidal crises, but for other mental health related distress as well, including substance abuse or any other kind of emotional distress. People are also encouraged to use the resource if concerned about someone in their life.

Nationally, there is a need for crisis intervention. In 2020 alone, the U.S. had one death by suicide about every 11 minutes according to SAMHSA. From April 2020 to 2021, over 100,000 individuals died from drug overdoses, and for people aged 10 – 34 years, suicide is a leading cause of death.

The change to 988 originates from the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act of 2018, which required a feasibility study into the creation of a three-digit dialing code for the Lifeline. The National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020 then required the Federal Communications Commission to designate 988 as the universal number for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline.

The public-private partnership National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention says the transition to 988 is an opportunity for states and territories to reimagine and fund not only crisis call centers, but mobile crisis response teams and crisis stabilization services as well.

The previous 1-800 number will continue to function even after the transition.

Government Turns To Three-Digit Lifeline To Cut Suicide Rates

In an emergency, Americans know to dial 911. Beginning July 16, people can dial 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

West Virginia is one of54 states and territories to receive federal dollars to help with the transition.

According to a Kaiser Report, suicide death rates increased by almost 40 percent in West Virginia between 2010 to 2020, the third highest in the nation. West Virginia’s single call center includes the Veterans Crisis Line.

West Virginians who need support can still call 1-800-273-TALK (8255), but this number will eventually be phased out. On Saturday, the state switches to 988.

Nationally, the number of calls is expected to triple in the first year alone.

This switch to a national call center is being funded by the federal government, but experts are concerned that the funds will fall short to prepare centers for the expected volume of callers.