Kristen Thometz | August 4, 2020 4:23 pm
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle talks about the rise in deaths by #suicide in the #Black community at a press conference on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020.
More #AfricanAmericans in Cook County have died by #suicide this year than during all of 2019, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced Tuesday.
“Most notably we’re seeing an increase of #suicide among our young people. The youngest victim this year was only 9 years old,” Preckwinkle said. “This is horrifying.”
According to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, 58 #Black residents have died by #suicide so far this year, surpassing the 2019 total of 56.
“2020 is on pace to be the worst year for suicides in the #Black community in a decade,” Preckwinkle said. “There’s no single explanation for the rising number of suicides, but according to the #CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention, #anxiety and #depression has increased among #BlackAmericans in general amid the #COVID-19 #pandemic.”
Cook County Medical Examiner Ponni Arunkumar said her office had confirmed 218 deaths due to #suicide at this time last year, with 33 of those deaths in the #Black community. “This year we’re at 246 deaths due to #suicide, and 58 of those decedents are #AfricanAmerican,” she said.
Arunkumar says the county is on pace to double the number of deaths by #suicide this year, and attributes the rise to “an increase in the deaths due to #suicide among #Black residents – nearly 80% were #men and 40% were under the age of 30; three were under the age of 18,” she said.
The death of the 9-year-old is especially difficult to deal with, Arunkumar said. “It’s impossible to come to terms with a #child who felt so hopeless he believed his only recourse was to take his own life,” she said. “I believe if we work together we can prevent many of these deaths.”
Dr. Diane Washington, executive director of behavioral health at Cook County Health, said contributing factors need to be analyzed, including health disparities in #Black communities and #Black attitudes toward #mentalhealth and #suicide.
“There’s a lot of #stigmas in our community about #mentalhealth,” she said, citing examples to “keep it in the family,” or abide by a code of silence. “The shame that goes with #mentalhealth is huge in our community. Religion plays a huge piece in that: ‘You’re going to go to hell if you commit #suicide.’”
These factors influence whether a #Black person seeks care, as well as the misconception that #Black people don’t experience pain or know how to express emotional pain, according to Washington.
“This pain is unbearable and this despondency and despair is huge. It’s overtaken our community and we need to get serious about managing it,” she said. “There’s an overwhelming sense of #isolation, despair, #hopelessness that occurred during this #pandemic that shifted the curve to another level.”
Washington says a holistic approach to #mentalhealth is needed. “We need to approach this situation in a very systemic way,” she said, and look at treatable causes, assemble resources and navigate coordination of services, and take preventive measures. It’s also important to address systemic racism as it affects health disparities in #Black communities, she said.
The county is working on a #suicideprevention plan which it hopes to have in place before the end of the year, according to Washington. “We are building it as we speak and responding to the current data (and) needs presented before us,” she said.
The county is also “educating all staff around the key components of #suicide and what that looks like and how to manage it,” Washington said. “We have to educate all of the providers so they can spot #suicidalideation or issues around that #suicide so they can intervene immediately.”
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of #suicide, contact the #NationalSuicidePreventionLine by phone (1-800-273-8255) or chat (suicidepreventionlifeline.org).
#JamesDonaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space. #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
