Suicide has historically been a major problem in the Durango area. 16 people have died by suicide in La Plata County in 2017 alone.
In Colorado, suicide is the second-leading cause of death for people aged 15-44, according to 2015 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A large percentage of people who die by suicide are struggling from a mental illness, Claire Ninde, communications director at San Juan Basin Public Health said.
The more people openly talk about suicide and mental illnesses, the more they will become destigmatized and the more likely it will be for people to seek out help, Megan Wrona, assistant professor of psychology, said.
Influence in a Small Town
Suicide awareness and prevention is an important topic for the Durango community because of the small size of Durango and the recent increase in suicides, Wrona said.
Hearing about suicide can have what is called a ripple effect, particularly among adolescents, Wrona said.
“We know that suicide risk increases if you have been impacted by somebody else's suicide,” she said.
This is problematic in a small town such as Durango because of the connectedness of the community. One death will impact many people, she said.
“Each of those deaths impacts in a different way than it does in a larger city,” Wrona said.
The contagion effect can also impact communities who are dealing with suicide. The contagion effect is the idea that when there is a lot of publicity around a suicide, there has been a correlation to an increase of deaths by suicide or suicide attempts, Wrona said.
“This does not mean that suicides should not be covered in the media but rather that coverage needs to be thoughtful and not sensationalized,” she said.
Media
The way news media and entertainment media talk about suicide can have both positive and negative effects, Ninde said.
The Durango Herald reports that a death is a suicide. This is unique because many newspapers may not write that a death was a suicide, Amy Maestas, senior editor at the Durango Herald said.
The language and what types of details included in the articles is important, Maestas said. The Herald policy is to say “died by suicide” rather than “committed suicide.”
The risk of suicide increases when news stories explicitly describe the method of suicide, Wrona said.
The Herald sees suicide as a public health issue for the community of Durango, and reporting on the topic can lead to more informed discussions about suicide, Maestas said.
“When we get the facts out, people can use those facts instead of rumors,” Maestas said.
Hollywood depictions of suicide, such as that of 2017 television series “13 Reasons Why,” can be problematic, Wrona said.
"There's been a lot of talk around “13 Reasons Why” because that series definitely presents some things that clinicians view as really unhelpful,” Wrona said.
In the show, the character who dies by suicide leaves a box of pre-recorded cassette tapes that reveal the 13 reasons why she killed herself.
This type of communication after death is unrealistic, Wrona says. If somebody has a reason why they want to kill themself, these issues can be worked out through therapy, she said.
The show also portrays adults as unhelpful, Wrona said.
The show leads people to believe that going to a therapist or school counselor would not be helpful, when in reality it is a beneficial thing to do, Wrona said.
“It is depicted as she has no other way to get out of her situation, which is simply not true,” Ninde said.
The suicide scene in the show is extremely graphic, Wrona said.
“It's very different than any suicide I've seen in media,” she said.
Social media can also play a role in suicide awareness and prevention, Ninde said.
Social media has been linked to increased youth depression because it can be isolating, and there is a potential for cyber bullying, she said.
However, social media can provide a support network and help spread resources, she said.
How to Talk about Suicide
Talking to somebody who may be struggling is a key method in suicide prevention, Ninde said.
Ninde outlined some helpful steps to initiating a conversation with somebody who is showing signs of being suicidal.
Those steps are show concern, ask questions, listen, offer help and follow up.
"When folks are suffering from mental illness or some kind of crisis, initiating a conversation, making a connection to someone else is key,” Ninde said.
Suicidal people almost always show warning signs, and those around them should mention that they have noticed these signs, she said.
Common signs that somebody is suicidal include personality change, mood change, lack of interest, changed sleeping patterns, giving belongings away and reckless behavior, Ninde said.
People also need to be comfortable bringing up uncomfortable topics, Ninde said.
“We need to be comfortable saying things like are you thinking of killing yourself, do you have the means to do so?” Ninde said.
Language
One key area of suicide prevention is the language surrounding suicide and mental illnesses, Wrona said.
"I think that there's always places that we can improve the way that we talk about mental health and suicide,” Wrona said.
The correct term to use when talking about a suicide is “death by suicide,” Wrona said. Terms like “completed suicide” are problematic because it implies a sense of success within an act that can be prevented, Wrona said.
Another issue is people using the terms depression or obsessive compulsive disorder when they have not been clinically diagnosed with these conditions, she said.
Saying things like “I’m so depressed” when you have a lot of homework is an example of language that trivializes and misrepresents what these illnesses are actually like.
“A true clinical depression is a really strong physical response that the body has, and I think we need to be careful about language that doesn't minimize that experience,” Wrona said.
Get Help
College students and young adults are an at risk group. Transitioning from high school to
college, or college to professional work life, can be an isolating and stressful time, Ninde said.
Suicide is preventable, and mental illness is treatable, she said.
The Fort Lewis College Counseling Center offers students taking at least eight credit hours four
free counseling sessions, in addition to an initial consultation.
Fort Lewis College Counseling Center
240 Noble Hall
(970) 247-7212
Axis Health System Crisis Line
(970) 247-5245
National Suicide Prevention 24/7 Lifeline
(800) 273-8255