UPDATE: Out of the Darkness Community Walk to prevent suicide a huge success

UPDATE:

Good weather and an upbeat mood were beneficial for the success of the Greater Houston Out of the Darkness Community Walk, Saturday, November 1. The Greater Houston Area Out of the Darkness Walk at Town Green Park in The Woodlands was one of more than 360 Out of the Darkness Community Walks being held nation-wide. The fundraising walks fund the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, providing prevention, awareness, and comfort.

In 2012 (the most recent year of full data availability) 40,600 suicides were reported. After cancer and heart disease, suicide accounts for more years of life lost than any other cause of death, according to AFSP. This equates to one suicide every 12.9 minutes. Suicide death rates vary considerably among different groups of people and reflect four key demographic variables: age, sex, ethnicity, and geographic region.

The highest suicide rate (19.88) is among people 45 to 59 years old. The second highest rate (17), occurred in those 75 years and older. Younger groups have had consistently lower suicide rates than middle-aged and older adults. In 2012, adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 24 had a suicide rate of 10.9. 20 percent of the annual suicide deaths in America are military veterans.

The suicide rate has been about four times higher among men than among women. Of those who die by suicide over 75 percent are male (78.3% according to 2012 statistics), and just over 20 percent are female (21.7% in 2012.)

The highest U.S. suicide rate is among Whites (14.1); the second highest rate is among American Indians and Alaska Natives (10.8). Much lower and similar rates are found among Asians and Pacific Islanders (6.2), Blacks (5.5) and Hispanics (5.8).

Six U.S. states, all in the West, had age-adjusted suicide rates in excess of 18; three locations had age-adjusted suicide rates lower than 9 per 100,000, all in the east...District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York. Yet, Montgomery County's teenage suicide rate has been higher than the state average, and higher than the rate in comparable counties since 1996, according to the Texas Department of Health. Their initial findings revealed 20.7 suicides per 100,000 residents for ages 18-19, compared with a statewide rate of 12.7; a rate of 10.9 suicides per 100,000 for ages 15-17, compared with a statewide rate of 9.5.

The alarming rise in youth suicides was detected by Edie Connelly, Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace, who also serves as the precincts coroner. She established the Montgomery County Child Fatality Review Team to address the problem. To detect the early warning indicators, and available resources,view the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention website at the link provided. Call the toll-free hotline at 1+800-273-TALK (8255), if battling depression and you need to talk to someone.



ORIGINAL STORY:

THE WOODLANDS, Texas - More than 2000 people from throughout the Greater Houston Area are expected to participate in the upcoming Out of the Darkness Community Walk on Saturday, November 1, 2014. The fundraising walk supports the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP, afsp.org) by helping to support local and national suicide prevention and awareness programs to reduce the annual rate of suicide by 20 percent by 2025.

The Greater Houston Area Out of the Darkness Walk (The Woodlands) is one of more than 360 Out of the Darkness Community Walks (www.outofthedarkness.org) being held this fall nationwide. The walks are expected to unite more than 100,000 walkers nationally and raise more than $12 million for suicide prevention efforts.

“Much more needs to be done to prevent suicide. Yet, suicide and the underlying mental disorders that can sometimes lead to suicide continue to be surrounded by misinformation and stigma,” said WyKisha McKinney. “This walk is about reducing that stigma, raising awareness and raising needed funds for research and local prevention programs.”

The walk will begin at Town Green Park in The Woodlands Town Center at 9:00AM and end at approximately 1:00PM.

According to AFSP, close to 700,000 people will make a suicide attempt requiring medical care and more than 38,000 will die by suicide in the U.S. every year. “Despite the troubling statistics, an important goal of the walk is to stress that suicide can be prevented. The walk is also a call to action that more must be done to prevent suicide, nationally and in communities across the country,” said Robert Gebbia, executive director for the foundation.

“We know that the best way to prevent suicide is through the early recognition and treatment of the mental disorders that can contribute to suicide. Unfortunately, stigma about disorders such as depression, bipolar illness, and alcohol and substance abuse, keeps people from getting the treatment they need. The Overnight is about eliminating that stigma. It’s about bringing hope to those who have been affected by suicide,” he continued.

Local sponsors for the Greater Houston Out of the Darkness Community Walk includes Berger Geosciences, LLC., Kingwood Pines Hospital, Mosquito Joes, and TaylorizedPR. Sponsorships are still available.

About the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention:

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is the leading national not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy as well as to reaching out to people with mental disorders and those impacted by suicide. For more information please visit www.afsp.org or send an email to afsphoustonwalk@gmail.com.