988 Now a Valuable Part of Impacting National Suicide Prevention Week

National Suicide Prevention Week Sept. 4–10 aims to reduce the stigma of suicide, and promotes the importance of mental health treatment and support.

With the recent implementation of 988, mental health advocates hope it will be easier than ever for those in crisis to reach out for help. Formerly an 11-digit phone number, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number is now the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which operates 24/7 and offers services for a variety of mental health-related calls.

Carrie Slatton-Hodges, Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services commissioner, said the helpline is a major step forward in preventing suicides in Oklahoma.

“Death by suicide rose 8.6 percent from 2019 to 2020, the Oklahoma State Department of Health has reported. This can be attributed, in large part, to the isolation and social implications of the pandemic,” she said. “Suicides rose nationwide, especially impacting our young people.”

Suicide prevention must occur where people can be reached most easily, Slatton-Hodges said. ODMHSAS has implemented programs in a number of locations, but are focusing specifically on healthcare settings and school-based settings.

Through partnerships with several primary care clinics statewide, more than 25,000 Oklahomans have been screened for depression and suicide risk. Numerous programs to reduce overdose deaths, including naloxone distribution statewide, also are ongoing.

Suicide is the ninth leading cause of death in Oklahoma, but the second leading cause for ages 10-24, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention reported.

ODMHSAS has been working with public schools for years on suicide prevention. Effective July 1, 2021, though, the Oklahoma Legislature mandated all Oklahoma schools must provide suicide prevention training to teachers and staff.

The agency offers five free program options to fulfill this requirement and has trained more than 20,000 education professionals.

“Students’ mental health has been affected significantly over the past few years because of isolation and remote learning during these essential development years,” Slatton-Hodges said. “We have worked with educators to address more than suicide prevention. The goal is to prevent and treat mental, emotional and behavioral problems among youth more quickly in the first place. We are trying to get more Oklahoma schools involved in this effort.”

Suicide prevention does not occur in a vacuum. It is part of a continuum of care, Slatton-Hodges said.

“The 988 lifeline is the first stop,” she said. “We also hope it’s the only stop most people need and that issues can be resolved at that level.”

Slatton-Hodges said having only three numbers to remember – 988 – will prove lifesaving in some cases.

People also can call if they’re feeling sad or anxious, or if they just need someone to talk to.

“Sometimes, that’s all a person needs to make everything right in the world again,” she said.

If a caller needs more assistance, they have immediate access to appointments and can have them set up on the phone, with follow up.

“Connecting people to services is the key,” she said. “By doing this, we can significantly reduce suicide risk and deaths.”