By: Kimberly Konkel, Associate Director for Health, HHS Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships
I'm a survivor of suicide. For me, that means that I’ve attempted to end my life by suicide and survived the death of my aunt who ended her life with a gun.
Suicide is a serious public health problem, and can have lasting harmful effects on individuals, families, and communities. While its causes are complex and determined by multiple factors, the goal of suicide prevention is simple: Reduce risk factors and increase protective factors. Effective prevention promotes awareness of ways to prevent suicide and encourage a commitment to compassionate community.
This World Suicide Prevention Day, an experience Sister G, a Mormon missionary, shared with me comes to mind. Sister G. was a widow whose husband, a neurosurgeon, died of brain cancer 5 years prior to her being my missionary partner.
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