To raise awareness about mental health during the ‘Suicide Prevention’ week, the social worker Marisol González, and a psychology graduate student from the Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico, Rose Rodriguez, presented a lecture about suicide prevention at the Inter American University of Puerto Rico, San Germán Campus) on October 25th to. The lecture was given in the “Marquis Science Hall” auditorium. The two speakers described the symptoms, causes and signs that most people may experience when dealing with suicidal tendencies and how we (as bystanders) can identify and help the victims of this epidemic.
Suicide, as defined by the World Health Organization (2018), is the act killing oneself. It’s a concept that’s not new to us, according to this organization “every 40 seconds there is a suicide attempt somewhere in the world”. And it is a concept and a number that Mrs Gonzales is too familiar with. Mrs. Gonzalez helps suicidal victims as she works in “Linea PAS” (Primer Ayuda Psicosocial), a Puerto Rican suicide hotline, where she answers calls or interviews them personally.
In their presentation on our campus, she explained that a person might go through four internal and external stages that would lead to suicidal tendencies or thoughts. The first stage is commonly called the “Idea,” this is where the victim may experience a crisis and may not seem to find a way out of their crisis. It is common for victims to experience symptoms of depression during this stage. Thesecond stage is known as the “Threat,” the victims may start questioning their life and its importance; “Would anybody care if I die?” or “I wish I were dead” are some of the things the victim may think or say. The third stage is the “Attempt” victims may mutilate themselves, cut their wrist or thighs, or try to hang themselves. The last stage is “‘Death,” when the act of suicide is completed.
Mrs. Gonzales has suggested that we should shift our views on suicide and we should see it more of a social problem rather than an individual’s problem. A social problem which is predominant in our Island of Puerto Rico A study conducted by the Health Department of Puerto Rico showed that around 5,000 people committed suicide between the years 2000 to 2017. It also described that in 2017 there was a 29% increase compared to the 2016 suicide rates. Although there is still research left to be done, Hurricane Maria seems to have had a great impact in the increase of the suicide rates in Puerto Rico Tere were an outstanding number of calls made to “Linea PAS” in the Maria’s aftermath. In an article written by Alex Figueroa in El Nuevo Día, he reports that “between November 2017 and January 2018, PAS received 3,050 calls from people with suicidal thoughts; 2,168 more than the 882 registered throughout 2016.” Puerto Rico already is in the midst of an economic crisis that has forced the government to file for bankruptcy. Unemployment and criminal rates have steadily risen throughout the recent years. The Fiscal Oversight Board is now financially managing the island. Because of this crisis, people are directly or indirectly affected and on top of that the hurricane was and still is another crisis that will lead to more suicide reports. Psychologist Julio Santana argues that any natural disaster can impact a person’s mental health: “Before María, there was a substantial decay due to the high level of unemployment, loss of homes and foreclosures, violence linked to unemployment and loss of opportunities. Those conditions that guarantee the emotional health of the people were disappearing.” And then Maria hit the island.
Having previous knowledge of what was given in the Suicide Prevention lecture and comparing it todays surging suicide epidemic, we can have a clear understanding of what we are facing and how to deal with it. Both speakers advise how to react when encountering a suicidal person They recommend to not leave a potential victim alone, always ask them questions, call the police or an ambulance, and what the speakers considered to be the most important thing to do was to keep asking questions to determine if they are having suicidal thoughts. A suicide campaign commercial was shown during the conference and actors read statements written out by suicide victims that expressed how they (as hypothetical victims) wished people wouldn’t be so afraid to ask them how they are feeling or if they are having suicidal thoughts.
In case you or somebody you know is having a suicidal thought, you can call for help. In the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, San German Campus, the available resources to deal with these cases are: The university’s guards, the counselors in the Human Development and Prevention Office located in Phraner Hall or call Linea PAS. Below you can find the contact information.
Interamerican University of San Germán Guards Number: (787)-892-4675
Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, San Germán Campus’s Office of Human Development and Prevention: (787)-264 – 1912, Ext. 7216, 7217 Linea PAS: 1-(800)-981-0023