{"id":47951,"date":"2025-09-29T13:29:01","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T20:29:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newmexicopbs.org\/productions\/newmexicoinfocus\/?p=47951"},"modified":"2025-09-29T13:29:05","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T20:29:05","slug":"we-all-have-a-role-to-play-in-preventing-suicide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newmexicopbs.org\/productions\/newmexicoinfocus\/we-all-have-a-role-to-play-in-preventing-suicide\/","title":{"rendered":"We All Have a Role to Play in Preventing Suicide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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More people took their own lives last year in New Mexico than the year before. New data from the state Department of Health<\/a> shows a nearly 10% rise in suicide deaths. That said, as you\u2019ll hear on this week\u2019s show, that follows a sharp decline the year prior for certain groups, like women and Native Americans. So, the state remains near our 10-year average for these tragedies.\u00a0

Still, for any of you, like me, who\u2019ve lost people you know and love in this way, you know that even one suicide \u2014 and the deep pain that ripples through a community in the aftermath \u2014 is too much to bear. With 512 New Mexicans taking their own lives last year, we must do better. So, this week, during National Suicide Prevention Month, we\u2019re having a conversation about how we might do that.\u00a0

Some of that will undoubtedly involve using the local support services staffed by trauma-informed mental health professionals and trained peers. Staff from the New Mexico Crisis & Access Line and Department of Health join us this week to make sure you\u2019re aware of resources, from the 988 Lifeline<\/a> to the Peer-to-Peer Warmline<\/a> and NM Connect app<\/a>.\u00a0

Back in 2022, the U.S. rolled out 988 as the number to dial for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. While it resembles 911, it\u2019s markedly different. For one, there\u2019s no automatic in-person response that gets deployed, says New Mexico 988 Program Manager Claire Carmony.\u00a0

\u201cWe\u2019re really able to ask more questions, get to know more what\u2019s going on because with the vast, vast majority of our calls we\u2019re able to support folks and stabilize on the phone,\u201d she told me.\u00a0

Having that option could be lifesaving in multiple ways. For example, we know that interactions between police and someone in the throes of a mental health crisis can turn deadly. A 2020 Washington Post analysis<\/a> showed those in crisis made up a quarter of the people police shot and killed over a six-year period. And noteworthy in a place like New Mexico: That likelihood goes up by about 40% in small and mid-sized areas like Albuquerque, Santa Fe and so many other communities across our state.
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Calling or texting 988 is not just for people\u00a0considering suicide, either. It\u2019s also a resource for those who care about that person. As you\u2019ll learn on this week\u2019s show, you can call the number together or on your own to get support as a concerned friend, family member or colleague.\u00a0

Clarie Miller, suicide prevention coordinator for the state Health Department, who\u2019s part of this week\u2019s panel, says, \u201cSuicide is preventable, but it requires all of us to act.\u201d\u00a0

We can all be on the\u00a0lookout for the warning signs<\/a> in the people in our lives. We\u2019ll go over some of those on the show.\u00a0

And if we notice any? We should mention it.<\/a>\u00a0Rosella Sanchez, one of our guests this week from the New Mexico Crisis & Access Line, says it\u2019s untrue that talking with someone about suicide makes them more likely to take their own life. Of course, it\u2019s not easy or comfortable to approach such a sensitive, stigmatized topic. But pushing ourselves to name it is shown to help.\u00a0

\u201cHowever, I think that it\u2019s really important to make sure that you\u2019re not judging and that there\u2019s no shame, and there\u2019s no assumptions,\u201d Sanchez said. \u201cI think that\u2019s really important…when we can go to somebody and say, \u2018I see you and I hear you. Now, let\u2019s do this together because you\u2019re not alone.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s my invitation to you this week, as well, as we learn about how suicide is affecting our community and how we can all play a part in preventing it. Let\u2019s do this together. \u00a0

If you or someone you know is in crisis or considering suicide, call or text 988. \u00a0<\/em>

-Nash Jones, Host\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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