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PT to offer suicide prevention training

5 min read
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In 1980, Govan Martin’s brother, Michael, died by suicide.

Martin said although 38 years have passed, the topic is still taboo.

“It’s gotten a little better, but the sad fact is that in our society, we’re still afraid to talk about suicide,” he said.

As chairman of the board of directors for Prevent Suicide PA, the state’s largest nonprofit dedicated to the cause, Martin teaches people that in order to prevent suicide, they should actually be direct.

“A lot of people are afraid to talk about suicide. They don’t want to bring it up, because they’re afraid the person might do it if they say it. That’s exactly opposite of what the person should be doing,” he said. “(Bringing it up) shows that someone does care and that we can get them help.”

Govan Martin

Through QPR training, which stands for “Question, Persuade, Refer,” Martin and other Prevent Suicide PA trainers teach people exactly what to say to someone they are concerned about, and how to get them to treatment.

Peters Township Public Library will be the first library in the state to offer QPR training, to be led by Martin from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The training came about through the nonprofit’s partnership with PA Forward, a statewide program that connects residents with information at their local libraries to enhance their quality of life. Peters is recognized as a PA Forward Gold Star Library for their programming and resources.

“We realized (suicide) is impacting so many people in our community and across PA,” said Carrie Weaver, public relations coordinator for the library. “We need to talk about this. The hope is to get the conversation going.”

As September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, Weaver said there was no better time to offer training.

And, as suicide rates continue to climb – according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the suicide rate in Pennsylvania has increased more than 30 percent since 1999 – training as many people as possible as quickly as possible is the key to saving lives, said Martin.

Just like people are trained to react in medical emergencies – like providing the Heimlich maneuver on someone who is choking or CPR on someone whose heart has stopped beating – QPR training would teach people how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to respond.

“It’s taking positive action and not judging,” Martin said.

If a person is worried that someone is considering suicide, the first thing they should do is pose a question.

“‘John … I’m really worried about you. I wonder if you’re thinking about suicide,'” Martin gave as an example.

One way not to phrase the question: “‘You’re not thinking about suicide, are you?’ or ‘You wouldn’t do anything stupid, would you?'”

People ask in that way because they want the person to say “No,” said Martin, and when the question is phrased that way, that’s usually how they’ll respond.

“It’s about caring and asking questions,” he said. “Use language to show care, empathy and non-judgment.”

The next step is to persuade them to get help. Martin said this can often be more difficult than getting someone to admit they are suicidal. The final step is to refer them to the proper resource, like a mental health professional, hospital, mobile crisis center or 911, if necessary.

If a person has a plan and the means to die by suicide, they shouldn’t be left alone.

Martin said that a person may say they are considering suicide, then start to think about the repercussions of getting help – how it will affect their job or relationships. If they then say they’re fine or they’re not going to hurt themselves, Martin said the person intervening should err on the side of caution.

“Obviously, they need help. I’d rather be safe than sorry. People often have suicidal thoughts. Does that mean they intend to die by suicide? Not necessarily. At the same time, I’d rather have a professional decide that,” he said.

Martin believes everyone can help reduce the rate of suicide by not being afraid to talk about it and intervening if the need arises.

“Twenty percent of us lose somebody in our immediate family. Sixty percent know somebody who has died by suicide,” he said. “Anybody can be affected by suicide. It doesn’t discriminate.”

In a crisis, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text 741741. For information, visit www.preventsuicidepa.org. To register for Tuesday’s training, which is not recommended for those younger than high-school age, visit www.ptlibrary.org or call 724-941-9430. Registration is not required.

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