Suicide and attempted suicide are the result and cause of serious individual problems. Taken together, they constitute a public health crisis that affects the entire population of the United States. But various studies indicate that the problem especially affects the Hispanic community. On many occasions, a simple conversation with someone empathetic and supportive can be enough to prevent a tragedy.
Last week I had the privilege of being the moderator of a talk about the first anniversary of a service that does exactly that; to help in every way possible people contemplating taking their own life. That is the service provided by line 988, which can be called or sent text messages in Spanish or English at any time of the day or night.
The activity, in which the Secretary of Health and Human Services of the United States, Xavier Becerra; the Undersecretary of that portfolio, Andrea Palm, and various community leaders, was held at the Comunilife premises, a community organization that is part of our Hispanic Federation.
Between 2010 and 2020, the Latino adult suicide rate increased by more than 70%, while the overall Hispanic population only grew by 25%. We are talking about almost 31,000 people who took their lives, of which only about 6,000 were women and more than 25,000 men.
Each year, more than 240,000 Latinas and Latinos try to commit suicide, and in 2020, more than 4,500 accomplished this terrible task. Additionally, one in six Hispanic high school students seriously considered suicide. Nearly one in four of those people (or 23%) was a girl, and just over one in 10 (11%) was a boy.
“Line 988 is very important for our La Vida es Preciosa program, whose goal is to prevent suicide among Latina teens,” says Dr. Rosa Gil, President of Comunilife, the event’s host agency. “988 counselors can refer Latina teens ages 12 to 18 to any of our La Vida Es Preciosa centers in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens.”
Dr. Gil emphasizes that the 988 line provides immediate help and in Spanish or English to people of any age who have suicidal thoughts or have attempted their lives.
Regarding La Vida Es Preciosa, the President of Comunilife ends by saying that families are an integral part of the program, as well as the staff of schools and mental health clinics.
I beg you to memorize the number 988, which may save your life or help you or a loved one out of an emotional abyss. And if you are interested in Life is Precious, you can write to [email protected], or call (929) 996-4754.
And if you want more information about the Hispanic Federation and its other organizations, you can visit Celebrate our 33rd anniversary with us, and see you in the next column!
Frankie Miranda is the president of the Hispanic Federation
2023-07-19 15:02:08
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