Submitted by the Bedford Board of Health and Bedford and Youth and Family Services
Roughly 30 Bedford residents attended a free suicide prevention workshop sponsored by Bedford Board of Health (BoH) in collaboration with Bedford Youth and Family Services (YFS) this past week. The workshop was titled “Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR)” and was offered by Jon Mattleman, a certified QPR trainer and former Needham Youth Services Director. This workshop was the second offering by the town focused on preventing suicide, the first offering being last September’s event called “Talk Saves Lives” and facilitated by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Both BoH and YFS have been concerned about the increased signs of stress and depression in Bedford, which replicate those in surrounding communities and the nation, and are committed to offering solutions and hope wherever possible. Educating citizens to ask, listen, and intervene where concerns or ideation may exist is one such way.
Mattleman shared myths and data about suicide. Participants learned that suicide can be prevented, that people send warning signals to those closest to them, and that anyone can intervene and save a life. Most suicidal people talk about their plans ahead of time so the person closest to them is most likely to prevent a person dying. Mattleman shared the staggering numbers of annual deaths by suicide both nationally – over 40,000 – and in Massachusetts – 600. Massachusetts has one of the lowest suicide rates due to our comprehensive gun control practices, and those states with fewer firearm restrictions have much higher rates.
Mattleman discussed the Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey(YRBS) data from 2017 related to bullying, depression, self-injury, and suicidal ideation and compared that to the 2018 Bedford YRBS data which has just been released and is posted on www.bedfordma.gov/youth under “Youth Risk Behavior Survey.” Bedford’s rates of bullying and cyberbullying at both the middle school and high school are comparable to the state rates and between 15% and 20%. Our rates of depression, self-injury, and ideation are a bit lower but still of concern. Rates of reported depression are 15% at JGMS (82 students) and 28% at BHS (182 students). Students who considered suicide numbered 60 at JGMS and 98 at BHS, who made a plan 33 at JGMS and 85 at BHS, and who actually attempted were 5 at JGMS and 20 at BHS. The group was forced to think about our community’s response to those numbers were they to reflect an illness or sports injury or physical contagion as compared to depression and suicide. Mattleman discussed his history dealing with youth suicides in Needham and how fortunate Bedford has been to date compared to surrounding communities.
Participants at the training reviewed situational clues that might predispose a person to consider suicide, like loss of a relationship or job, serious illness, the death of a loved one, as well as tips for questioning, persuading, and referring people who might be at risk. Key takeaways for several participants were listening techniques designed to elicit conversation with someone struggling with suicidal ideation like “tell me more” and persuading techniques involving asking if they would go get help if the listener went along.
Mattleman’s presentation was just two days before the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that death by suicide increased 3.7 % in 2017 and it rounds out the top 10 leading causes of death in the US. Again in 2017, death by suicide along with the other top 9 causes, contribute to a decline in overall US life expectancy. Health Director Heidi Porter said, “these results are unsettling, but we recognize that local attention needs to be brought to this and other important health promotion and disease prevention topics. BoH and YFS view our role as providers of prevention resources, training, and health promotion programming and strive to be responsive to the community’s needs.”
Materials from Mattleman’s presentation can be viewed under the programs tab on the BoH website at www.bedfordma.gov/health The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention website at www.afsp.org offers a wealth of information and resources
For questions or more information about local resources contact Board of Health at 781-275-6507 or Youth and Family Services at 781-275-7727.
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