By L.A. Williams
Christian Action League
June 21, 2024
More North Carolinians took their own lives than died by homicide in 2021, the latest state data shows. White males made up 78 percent of reported suicides. And, according to the State Health Department, suicide is the second-leading cause of death for ages 10-18.
“Suicide rates across the board in elderly, rural white people, all the way through the Black youth are the worst they’ve ever been,” Dr. Patrick Sullivan said last week in Raleigh at a statewide Suicide Prevention Summit.
A psychiatrist specializing in depression, Sullivan founded the UNC Suicide Prevention Initiative as part of the Carolina Across 100 initiative, a campaign designed to share mental health support and resources across every county.
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsley told WRAL that the state’s 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has documented 100,000 requests for help in the past year and that 5,000 calls came into the state’s new Peer Warmline in the month of April. He said stigma and fear often keep families from talking about the issue.
“We have to help support families and try to get ahead of these crises before they happen,” Kinsley said. He said North Carolina has put $15 million in new behavioral health urgent care centers across the state and $22 million in facility-based crisis centers
The Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League, said it’s important to critically examine societal trends contributing to the suicide crises, such as the breakdown of traditional family structures, secularization, and the impact of social media on mental health.
“There are very few tragedies that profoundly affect families, communities, and our entire society quite like suicide. It may sound overly simplistic to some, but faith, family, and the church can play a crucial role in addressing this crisis,” he said.
“There is so much that our churches could do – so many issues – so many dark places the church can bring light. We have to stop thinking of church as something that we do only on Sunday. Churches can step up to offer emotional and spiritual support to those struggling with mental health issues. Through counseling, prayer groups, and fellowship, churches can provide a sense of belonging and hope to those who feel isolated and hopeless.”
Creech said churches can also help strengthen the family bonds essential to children’s mental, emotional, and spiritual health.
“Young people need a safe place to express their struggles, their fears, their confusion. So many of them need strong moral and ethical guidance to help them navigate their challenges. Churches can create a supportive network for individuals at risk,” he added.
Having faced suicidal thoughts during a dark period in his own life, Creech said his faith helped him make it through.
“Here is the one great thing I learned that helped me more than anything. When I look at the Cross of Christ, I can see how precious my life is to God. I can discern from the Cross that life’s experiences are not random, they have meaning, the good and the bad,” he said. “God is not removed from my pain or challenges. In the person of his Son, Jesus Christ, he doesn’t simply sympathize with our pain, he identifies with it. Because as the Bible says, he was in all points tried as we are. Moreover, the Cross speaks of triumph being born out of tragedy. What could have possibly been worse than the unjust execution of the Son of God, who never did anything but good for everyone? Yet out of the worst tragedy of human history, God fashioned our salvation and the promise of all wrongs ultimately being made right.”
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If you or someone you know is thinking of suicide, then call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. This national helpline provides confidential support 24/7 for people in distress. The 988 Lifeline can connect individuals to local crisis centers that provide immediate assistance.
Additionally, they might reach out to:
- Local Emergency Services: Dial 911 for immediate help.
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
- Crisis Text Line: Text “HELLO” to 741741
- Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255 and press 1 or text 838255
- Peer Support Warmline (North Carolina): For non-crisis support, they can call the state’s Peer Warmline.
