Kirby Medical Center Recognizes National Suicide Prevention Month

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. According to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), this month is a time to raise awareness for those experiencing suicidal thoughts, those impacted by suicide, and those who have lost their lives by suicide.

Suicide impacts individuals of all ages and is a leading cause of death, as noted by the CDC. 

During Suicide Prevention Month, Kirby Medical Center and Senior Life Solutions are taking various routes to educate and spread awareness to the local community.

For staff members, education will be taking place through weekly emails and pamphlets sponsored by SAMSHA, along with different ways to promote awareness such as handing out pins to wear and encouraging self-care through cards and goodie bags.

In the community, education on suicide prevention will be provided in local assisted living facilities, nursing homes, churches, and businesses, and Taylor Ferguson, Program Director of SLS, will be spreading awareness at local libraries throughout the month. Ferguson highlights the importance of spreading awareness: “Suicide continues to be an increasing challenge amongst society today, currently data has reflected suicide to be the 15th leading cause of death in Illinois. When we consider all the co-morbidities out there, suicide has begun to surpass them, and that is a scary thing. Being able to educate and speak to the reality of the concerns places everyone one step forward in being able to make a difference in someone's life who might not think that they will live to see the next day."

This year, we are partnering with Vinyl by Meredith for t-shirts, and there are a number of different designs and colors to help bring awareness to suicide prevention. T-shirts can be purchased here.

Each Friday, we want to encourage staff members to paint Kirby purple and teal. Staff can send in a selfie or group photos to the SLS email to be placed in a drawing for a prize at the end of the month. These t-shirts are not limited to Kirby staff – anyone in the community can purchase to support suicide prevention. 

Let’s come together to raise awareness this Suicide Prevention Month. We are here for you.

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As described by the NIMH, warning signs of suicide include:

• Talking about significant guilt, being a burden, and/or wanting to die
• Feeling empty, hopeless, stuck, having no reason to live, very sad, anxious, agitated, or angry
• Changing behavior such as withdrawing from friends/family, giving away possessions, making a plan or researching ways to die, taking risks, eating or sleeping more or less, using drugs or alcohol more frequently, and/or displaying extreme mood swings

If you or a loved one is struggling with suicidal thoughts, you are not alone. Reach out to a trusted friend, talk with your doctor, go to the emergency room, or call/text a crisis line, such as 988. It is important to follow up with your primary care provider no matter which option you choose because it can help you recover and avoid having suicidal feelings again.