September Proclaimed Suicide Prevention Month

In Tennessee, an estimated 950 men, women, and children die by suicide each year.
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of all deaths in Tennessee and the second-leading cause of death among people ages 15-24. According to the Tennessee Department of Health, there were 1,065 recorded suicide deaths in the state in 2015, at a rate of 16.1 per 100,000 people. That’s up from 14.4 per 100,000 in 2014.
On Thursday, County Mayor Tim Stribling and Smithville Mayor Jimmy Poss signed proclamations designating September as Suicide Prevention Month in DeKalb County and Smithville.
In 2015, the latest year for which county-specific figures are available, DeKalb County’s age-adjusted suicide rate was 26.1 per 100,000 people, translating into five reported suicide deaths. That is up from 15.6 per 100,000 people or three reported suicide deaths in 2014.
The DeKalb suicide rate is also higher than the state average of 16.1 per 100,000 population for 2015 as reported by the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network.
Clay County had the highest suicide rate among the fourteen counties of the Upper Cumberland Region and the state of Tennessee at 51.4 per 100,000 with four deaths. Smith County had the lowest rate in the Upper Cumberland at 5.2 per 100,000 with one reported suicide in 2015.
Moore County was the only county in the state to report no suicides in 2015.
DeKalb County’s suicide rate was at 16.6 per 100,000 in 2006 and 2007 with three deaths each of those years. But the rate soared to 48.1 per 100,000 in 2008 with nine deaths. The rate dropped to 26.5 per 100,000 with five deaths in 2009 but went back up to 37.4 per 100,000 with seven deaths in 2010. DeKalb’s suicide rate for 2011 was 26.5 per 100,000 with five deaths and 15.9 per 100,000 in 2012 with three suicides and 15.7 per 100,000 in 2013 with three deaths.
In almost all cases, suicide can be traced to unrecognized, untreated, or poorly treated mental illness. It can happen to people of either sex, any race or ethnicity, and any economic status. The average suicide death leaves behind six survivors—family and friends of the deceased—all of whom are at increased risk for a suicide attempt themselves. As if the emotional and psychological toll were not enough, suicide and suicide attempts cost the state of Tennessee $1 billion a year in medical treatment, lost wages, and lost productivity.
The Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network (TSPN) and its allies in the public health, mental health, and social service fields are joining forces to recognize the month of September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. During this annual observance, TSPN and its allies arrange several educational and memorial events across Tennessee. These projects help teach the general public about the problem of suicide and how it can be prevented. They also provide an opportunity to remember those lost to suicide; to encourage survivors of suicide, survivors of suicide attempts, and people who have triumphed over mental illness; and to recognize individuals who have made notable contributions to suicide prevention efforts in our state.
Details about the Suicide Prevention Awareness Day observance and other events planned across the state will be announced on the TSPN website (www.tspn.org). Additional information about Suicide Prevention Awareness Month is available from the TSPN central office at (615) 297-1077 or tspn@tspn.org.