Preventing suicides in a pandemic: Morris Township will host webinar, Sept. 24

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The pandemic’s toll isn’t just physical. Mental health is suffering, too.

According to an August report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in four adults between the ages of 18-24 considered suicide in the prior month because of COVID-19.

And more than 40 percent of those surveyed indicated they have experienced a mental or behavioral health condition connected to the outbreak.

Help is available. In recognition of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, Morris Township Mayor Cathy Wilson will host a 90-minute virtual discussion on Thursday, Sept 24, 2020, at 7 pm.

“I felt drawn to organizing this event” says Wilson.  “I see a real need for community discussion of mental health concerns — which are so important always, but especially now. Suicide is particularly tragic.

“I know two local people who recently took their own lives. The more open, honest, and informed we can be in talking about mental health issues, including suicide, the better it is for all of us. Building our understanding of the causes of suicide and how to prevent it helps everyone in our community. That is the goal of this event.”

Panelists will include Chatham Borough Councilman Len Resto, a well-known survivor speaker; and representatives of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and the Morris County chapter of Moms Demand Action.

The foundation will discuss depression and risk factors for suicide. Moms Demand Action will explain the one thing you can do when a loved one is in crisis. MDA was created by Shannon Watts, a mother of five, after the devastating shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.

Even before the pandemic, the statistics were sobering: Suicide is the second leading cause of death in people between ages 10 and 34, according to the AFSP.  In 2018, suicides surpassed homicides by nearly a 2:1 ratio, with almost 50,000 people taking their own lives. The suicide rate is highest in middle-aged white men.

Are you in a crisis? Call 800-273-8255 or text TALK to 741741.  More information on the webinar is here.

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