VIRGINIA BEACH — Saturday morning is a morning of awareness, of remembrance, and of celebration.
It’s a Morning of Hope.
Untreated depression is the No. 1 cause of suicide and it’s estimated that nearly 19 million Americans suffer from it.
Saturday morning at Mount Trashmore, residents are invited to come and learn more about suicide, its warning signs, the symptoms of depression, and what to do when someone may be suicidal.
Fifteen clinically licensed counselors will be on-hand to answer questions and offer advice.
There will also be a Memory Wall where photos of loved ones lost to suicide can be placed. Food, crafts, and family activities will also be part of the event.
“The suicide numbers may have risen, particularly for the middle-aged group, due to our economic recession and financial hardships that were devastating to many,” Dr. Serina Neumann, psychiatry and behavioral sciences professor for Eastern Virginia Medical School.
She said the higher suicide rate may also stem from the stigma of mental health issues and poor access to mental health care.
In Virginia, 1,166 lives were lost to suicide in 2016: That’s one person every eight hours. Overall, suicide is the 11th leading cause of death, but in the 15-34 age group it’s the second leading cause of death.
Men are nearly four times as likely to take their own lives as women, and whites are twice as likely to do so as are other races.
Check-in for the event begins at 8:30 a.m. and the program kicks-off at 9:30 a.m.
