EDITORIAL: A worthwhile topic for Oklahoma DHS lecture series

July 16--LATER this month, the Department of Human Services will use its Practice & Policy Lecture Series to discuss something many people prefer not to talk about -- suicide. We say, bravo!

The lecture series is designed, DHS says in a news release, "to provide thought-provoking presentations on Oklahoma's emerging policy issues, trends and best practices." Unfortunately, suicide qualifies.

According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Oklahoma has the eighth-highest suicide rate in the country. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among Oklahomans ages 15-34. Every 11 hours, one person dies by suicide.

Nationally, suicide claims roughly 45,000 lives each year -- more than die in automobile accidents or opioid overdoses. A report last month from the CDC said suicide rates in the United States had risen nearly 30 percent since 1999, with increases seen in men and women, in rural and urban areas, and in all ethnic groups.

And yet, it's a subject that is considered taboo by many. For example, when was the last time you read a paid obituary that mentioned a loved one had died by suicide?

In Alabama recently, the state's attorney general, Steve Marshall, held a news conference to talk about his wife's suicide days earlier. Bridgette Marshall, 45, had struggled with depression, anxiety and chronic pain.

Marshall wanted to address "half-truths" that had been reported about his wife's death, but said family members also hoped telling her story would help other families and individuals impacted by mental health issues and suicide -- or help someone contemplating suicide to know "there is hope and there are people who love them."

Mental illness "is not a sign of weakness, let's make that clear," Marshall said. "Nobody wants to be mentally ill."

The DHS lecture is titled "Talk Saves Lives: A Brief Introduction to Suicide Prevention." It will be presented by Robin Hudson LeBlanc, the first suicide survivor to serve as chair of the Oklahoma Suicide Prevention Council. She'll be joined by another suicide survivor, Melissa Reese Casey, who is a suicide prevention advocate. Among other things, they'll discuss the warning signs and risk factors of suicide.

In its news release, DHS made note of the statewide suicide prevention hotline -- (800) 522-9054 -- and the national suicide prevention hotline -- (800) 273-8255. If you're considering harming yourself, or believe you know someone who is, grab the phone.

The lecture is from noon to 1 p.m.July 26 at the Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive. It's free and open to the public. This is a subject that merits a full house.

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