Coroner says suicide prevention awareness efforts paying off

Although there have been three suicides in three months in Avoyelles in 2016, Dr. L.J. Mayeux said he believes the suicide prevention and awareness efforts in the parish are paying off.

   “We have many more people seeking help with suicide prevention than we have had at any time in the past 36 years,” Mayeux, the parish coroner, said.
   “There is not a day that goes by that we don’t get three or four families seeking help with a possible suicide situation or information about suicide prevention,” Mayeux said. “The awareness efforts are really helping.”
    Mayeux said the number of people seeking help and information is a good thing because it could mean that several would-be suicides have been prevented.
    There were two suicides in Avoyelles Parish in the first week of the year. There was another in March. 
    Mayeux has campaigned vigorously to bring the issue of suicide and suicide prevention before the public.
    Avoyelles consistently has one of the state’s highest suicide rates per capita.
    A Centers for Disease Control survey from 1999-2014 reports Avoyelles with a 15-year suicide rate of 17.62 per 100,000 population. That compares to the state rate of 14.3 per 100,000 and the U.S. rate of 12.97 per 100,000 for that period.
    Avoyelles was second to Evangeline Parish, with a 20.89 rate in the CDC report.
 
14 in 2015
    Mayeux said Avoyelles had 14 suicides in 2015 -- which equates to a suicide rate of 35 per 100,000 population.
    In discussing the high number of suicides last year, Mayeux called suicide in Avoyelles “an epidemic.”
    “It is alarming the number of suicides we have for our parish with our population,” he said. “It is cutting across all races, ages and economic conditions.” 
   One organization focusing on suicide prevention in the parish is the Avoyelles Community & Youth Coalition, which includes representatives from several state and private social service agencies, as well as concerned individuals.
 
ACYC community event
    At its monthly meeting earlier this month, the ACYC discussed plans for a community event in September, which is National Suicide Prevention Month. 
   The group decided at that meeting to bring author/suicide survivor Yolanda Shanks to the parish to hold a community meeting and hopefully speak in the high schools.  School Board Member John Gagnard, an ACYC member,  said he will present the proposal to school district administrators and the board to approve assemblies at the four district high schools.
   Chauncey Hardy, director of Prevention Services for the Central Louisiana Human Services District, said Shanks has an inspiring, compelling and eye-opening message to share.
   Her book, Destined to Live, Despite Me, has won several awards in religious-inspirational-motivational categories.
   ACYC members expressed an interest in having Shanks in town for two or three days to provide time for the school assemblies and for the “Town Hall” meeting for the public. The community meeting would probably have a few more speakers on the subject, including Mayeux.
    No date for the event has been determined.
Coroner says suicide prevention awareness efforts paying off | AvoyellesToday.com | Avoyelles Journal, Bunkie Record, Marksville Weekly | Avoyelles Parish, La.

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