As suicides rise in RGV, so too are local support services

At least one Rio Grande Valley hospital system has confirmed an increase in residents not just seeking mental health support services, but also dying by suicide.

The same is being observed nationally as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that in 2022, over 49,000 people died by suicide with about one death occurring every 11 minutes on average.

Although suicide rates had decreased by 5% from 2018 to 2020, the rate began to increase in the following years, returning to its peak in 2022. This spike in people seeking mental health support has been widely attributed to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

That same data showed that in 2022 the rate of suicide deaths was four times higher among males than females, accounting for about 80%.

According to the CDC, 55% of people who died by suicide used a firearm, 25% died by suffocation, 12% poisoned themselves and 8% used other methods, the data shows.

As the month of September begins, you’ll find events aplenty throughout the Valley, events such as walks, seminars and fairs in observance of National Suicide Prevention Month — in hopes of educating the community about resources that are available to them.

For instance, South Texas Health System Behavioral will be hosting its third annual Chalk the Walk: Hope & Inspiration Walk on Saturday.

The event is scheduled from 9 to 11 a.m. at STHS Behavioral, located at 2102 W. Trent Road in Edinburg.

Throughout the event, attendees will be invited to take a “walk of remembrance” around the STHS Behavioral building after a short program. Along the route will be posters with inspirational messages highlighting suicide prevention and awareness.

The posters were submitted by local businesses, schools and organizations.

The South Texas Health System Behavioral chemical dependency unit Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, in Edinburg. (Delcia Lopez | dlopez@themonitor.com)

Prior to the walk as well as after, attendees will have the opportunity to chalk up the main parking lot and driveways around the facility with words of comfort and hope.

Those who share their chalk messages on social media, use the #STHSChalkTheWalk hashtag and tag @stxhealthsystem on Instagram will see their art posted on the hospital’s account throughout the month of September.

The event will also feature a “You Are Not Alone” community fair which will present local organizations and resources available to those dealing with mental health and wellness concerns.

For Tom Castaneda, system director of marketing and public relations at STHS, these efforts to educate the public create opportunities to come together and promote and support mental health as a community.

“Everyone plays a role in helping prevent suicide,” Castaneda said in a news release, adding via telephone Thursday that the Valley has “unfortunately seen an increase in suicides.”

“From learning how to identify the warning signs and opening the lines of communication for frank conversations about suicide with those who you suspect may be struggling to creating positive and supportive social relationships and strong community connections, we can all help save precious lives by dampening the effects of risk factors in people’s lives,” he stated.

Those who would like to submit a message for the walk can call the STHS marketing department at (956) 388-2020 or email them at STHSMarketing@uhsinc.com. For more information about the event, visit STHS’s event page on Facebook.

STHS has already held an event this week through its “Let’s Talk Mental Health” webinar where they spoke about suicide prevention.

For those struggling with mental health, you can contact the national suicide prevention lifeline at 988, which provides 24/7 support through text, chat or call.

The 988 lifeline also provides mental health support for U.S. military veterans through its veterans crisis line. Call 988 and press 1 to reach the line.

Other resources include the Trevor Lifeline, a national lifeline for LGBTQ youth, which can be reached at (866) 488-7386. That lifeline is also available 24/7.

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