The City of Edmonds and its partners are raising awareness and bringing the community together around suicide prevention during the month of September.

Suicidal thoughts can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, race, orientation, income level, religion, or background; and according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death among adults, and the 2nd leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34 in the United States. Residents age 65 and older comprise about 13% of the U.S. population but account for over 18% of all suicides, with the most common cause for elderly suicide, as for all suicides, is untreated depression.

The city launched its effort around National Suicide Prevention Month Sept. 1 when the Edmonds Mayor and City Council during its meeting proclaimed September as Suicide Prevention Month and received a presentation on suicide prevention from the Snohomish Health District. You can read the official proclamation here. (To read the proclamation in Spanish, Russian, Korean or Chinese, click here.)

The following events are also scheduled:

Sept. 17, 7 p.m.: Wendy Burchill of the Snohomish Health District will present a free, “Question, Persuade, Refer,” suicide prevention training via Zoom. This will also include a question and answer session on suicide prevention techniques.

Sept. 23, 7 p.m.: A community panel about mental health and suicide prevention to foster discussion and encourage mental health advocacy. Panelists include:

o   Margaret Browne, Premera (moderator)

o   Tim Krivanek, Board Member Washington chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

o   Michelle Reitan, Edmonds Waterfront Center

o   Scriber Lake High School students

o   John Richards, KEXP DJ and mental health advocate

Zoom links for both of these events will be available on the city’s suicide prevention webpage. That page also includes a list of suicide prevention resources.