Page 9 - Florida Sentinel 9-4-20

Local
Positivity Numbers Going
September Is National Suicide Awareness Month:
Black Mental Health Professionals Talk About ‘Suicide Awareness’
Down, So Is Testing,
BY MONIQUE STAMPS Sentinel Feature Writer
September is National Sui- cide Awareness Month and this year, diligence is even more important. The pres- sures from COVID, unem- ployment, and Black Lives Matter are growing. The polit- ical atmosphere is trouble- some and help for citizens is at the mercy of politics. Not often discussed are the unique challenges of suicide preven- tion for Black people.
According to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, the rate of suicide among African Americans has been rising steadily since 2009. We spoke to several Black profes- sionals in psychiatry and psy- chology to delve into the problem.
“Suicide rates are increas- ing for Black children and adolescents at alarming rates, faster than any other racial group. Research is continuing to be done with a hope of find- ing root causes and clarifying mental health concerns among this group,” she said.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), suicide attempts have in- creased among Black males and females; and injuries from suicide attempts in- creased among Black males. Dr. Rheeda Walker, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at the University of Houston, has written that while suicide has increased in Black youth, cul- tural expectations may pre- vent Black teens from asking for help for fear of being os- tracized.
Dr. Walker writes, “More importantly, Black youth at risk may even be more difficult to identify than non-black youth. Because sui- cide is occurring and at young ages comprehensive efforts are needed to address this public health problem.”
Dr. Marketa Wills,
MBA M.D., Senior Med- ical Director at Centene and co-au- thor of the highly re- garded book
“Under-
standing DR.MARKETA
WILLS
mental health of Black folks. Social isolation is a great con- cern among the elderly. Lone- liness causes both mental and physical health concerns. Dr. Wills stresses the importance of the black community to look for signs of suicide.
A few warning signs of possible suicidal thoughts:
• Increased alcohol and drug use
• Aggressive behavior
• Withdrawal from friends, family, and community
• Dramatic mood swings
• Impulsive or reckless be- havior
More serious than sui- cidal thoughts, suicidal behaviors are a psychiatric emergency. If you or a loved one starts to take any of these steps, seek immediate help from a health care provider, the Suicide hot- line or call 911:
• Collecting and saving pills or buying a weapon
• Giving away possessions
• Tying up loose ends, like or- ganizing personal papers or
paying off debts
• Saying goodbye to friends
and family
Discussions with people
that express suicidal thoughts can be difficult. Remember to be patient with the person. Do not raise your voice, argue, or threaten them. Speak calmly and if there are other people present, have only one person speak at a time. Be open and honest. Express concern and offer support. If possible, remove guns, knives, or collections of pills. Offers of food delivery and other mate- rial support in addition to get- ting mental health may bridge the gap. Assistance with get- ting help and following up could mean the difference be- tween life and death.
Call the: National Sui- cide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
This national network of local crisis centers pro- vides free and confiden- tial emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
The Hillsborough County Board of County Commis- sionsers, currently overseeing the COVID-19 Pandemic, was told on Thursday (August 27, 2020) that the positivity numbers for the county are down, but so is testing.
Commission Chair Les Miller said Dr. Daniel Holt, Florida Dept. of Health, Hillsborough County, said that the Positivity rate is down to 7.2%, but so is the testing.
Miller said they are still encouraging people to take advantage of the free testing at several sites throughout the county. You do have to make an appointment, however.
What was alarming in the report the commissioners re- ceived is that the positivity
COMM. CHAIR LES MILLER
rate in children is rising. In Hillsborough County, the rate as of last Thursday stands at 14%. That does not mean that parents should rush out and get their children tested, Miller said they were told. “Children should be tested if they show symptoms or have been exposed to someone, possibly in the same home.”
Commissioners Told
Dr. Sharon Andrews- Gray, M.D.,
a prominent
psychiatrist
with Psycho-
Social Rehab
Center at the
James A.
Haley Veter-
ans Hospital
in Tampa, has
seen her job
duties change
due to COVID. Since COVID, she has switched responsibili- ties to work with the Suicide Prevention Team. There, she works with high-risk suicide patients.
At the VA, she has seen an increase in suicidal thoughts and attempts among veterans, rather than actual suicides. Since patients at the VA often have other stresses such as Post Traumatic Stress Disor- der (PTSD), the rise of stress concerning COVID and eco- nomic roadblocks has height- ened the level of interactions Dr. Andrews Gray has had with patients flagged as po- tentially suicidal.
Dr. Dominque Blanchette has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is working at a state-run hospi- tal in south Florida. She is cur- rently in a post-doctoral residency program where ap- proximately 65% of her pa- tients are Black. Dr. Blanchette is most con- cerned about Black youths.
DR. SHARON ANDREWS- GRAY, M.D
Mental Ill-
ness,” states that, “during times of economic recession there is always a statistically significant suicide rate among all people. Further, there are significant reasons to be con- cerned about the ability to cope with all the social, eco- nomic, and pandemic issues right now. Black entrepre- neurs and others losing their jobs are particularly vulnera- ble because of economic dev- astation. Because of the higher rates of illness and death from COVID among Black people, we are also dealing with “mass grief” as a community. Typi- cal methods of grief expres- sion such as funerals cannot happen right now. The trauma triggers of racist attacks and racism also weighs on the
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2020 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 9-A