The southeast region of the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network will hold a virtual event Sept. 29, 8-9 p.m., to recognize Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. The event will be streamed live via the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/TSPNorg).
An Aug. 2020 poll shows more than half of adults know someone who has had suicidal thoughts or behaviors, and approximately one in five U.S. adults has thought about suicide.
In Tennessee, an average of three people die by suicide each day. In 2018 – the latest year for which state-specific figures are available – there were 1,159 recorded suicide deaths in Tennessee. Of these deaths, 118 were in the southeast Tennessee region.
In many cases, suicide can be traced to unrecognized, untreated or poorly treated mental illness. A major aim of TSPN is to educate community members on the warning signs and risk factors specific to suicide, as well as share resources so individuals can seek help for those in their lives.
TSPN draws awareness to suicide throughout the year. These efforts are recognized during a statewide event and many regional events each September.
The Sept. 29 event will celebrate work done in the southeast Tennessee region over the past year, highlight stories of suicide prevention in the region and recognize the southeast regional suicide prevention award winner, Christy Sentell, an individual who has dedicated herself to suicide prevention in the region.
Individuals who know someone who’s in a mental health crisis can call the statewide crisis line at 1-855-CRISIS-1.
Source: Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network