On Sept. 10, Hilo hosted the annual “Out of the Darkness” walk to raise awareness and provide resources for people on Hawaii Island during Suicide Prevention Month.
Over 30 volunteers at the Aupuni Center held signs, shared stories and wore beaded necklaces showing their support.
“One of the leading things we can do for suicide prevention is connect to each other and be able to share not only about prevention, but about our losses,” said Dr. Deborah Goebert, co-chair of the statewide Prevent Suicide Hawaii Task Force.
Goebert has been involved with the task force since its inception and has participated in walks across several islands.
“When I say I work in suicide prevention, people always say ‘oh that’s so sad,’ and many people do get involved because of loss, but it’s a place to direct it and to try and make something better,” she said, mentioning the smiles of those participating. “We call this passing life forward.”
Each island has its own task force chapter, uniting over the goal of providing hope, help and healing.
“Hope for those that are thinking about suicide and hope that we can prevent it, help for those struggling, and then healing those who are survivors of suicide loss,” said Hawaii Island’s Prevent Suicide Task Force co-chair Yolisa Duley.
Duley joined the group in 2013 while implementing a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services grant for the University of Hawaii at Hilo.
“We partner with government agencies, private companies, nonprofit organizations, community groups and individuals to develop strategies and training programs to prevent suicide for youths, adults and emergency responders,” she said. “We offer what we call suicide prevention gatekeeper trainings, where people learn how to prevent suicides, learn the warning signs, and how to get someone the resources they need.”
Suicide is a leading and complex cause of death throughout Hawaii.
In 2021, the state Department of Health reported 45 individuals died from suicide on Hawaii Island, and statewide, there were 195 documented deaths. The number is estimated to be higher, as it’s not always clear when a death is a suicide. In some cases, a toxicology report can take months to determine a cause of death as well.
Over the past decade, there have been an average of 190 deaths from suicide annually among residents, roughly one person dying every two days in Hawaii.
One of the task force goals outlined in the state strategic plan is to reduce suicides statewide by 25% by 2025.
“Suicide is preventable,” said Duley. “Treatment helps, including mental health services and support …. Reaching out for help when you’re feeling overwhelmed or struggling with life circumstances is a sign of strength, not weakness.”
Goebert addressed the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide as well, sharing her personal experience.
“I lost my brother when I was 18 and he was 23, and then nobody talked about it,” she said. “I’ve been doing this work for a long time and I’m very comfortable now talking about it, but even until 1999, I didn’t tell anybody.”
While the pandemic forced the group into virtual walks and online events, it offered a surprising benefit.
“I actually feel like the pandemic helped reduce stigma in a way,” said Goebert. “Some people that could not have previously imagined struggling with mental health now felt isolated and struggled, so they started talking about it more. I’m hoping we don’t lose that.”
She noted the number of people calling the help lines increased dramatically during COVID, but as a result of seeking help, there were fewer suicide deaths during the pandemic than in years prior.
Hospital treatments in Hawaii County for self-inflicted injuries also declined among several age groups, including those 15 to 19 years old. In 2016, there were 212 hospital treatments for self-inflicted injuries, and 195 in 2018. That number dropped down to 181 in 2021.
“It’s that initial talk that we know helps people,” said Goebert, adding the new nationwide 988 helpline provided valuable support during the pandemic. “For many people, we know that’s all they needed. But for about 5% of the callers, they need more, and (988) can connect them to that additional support, which might be therapists, community health workers, emergency support.”
A gentle way of reducing stigma came from colorful beaded necklaces gifted to those participating in the walk. Each color signified a personal connection and experience with suicide, allowing individuals to share stories without words.
“They’re so healing and gentle, it’s brilliant,” said Goebert of the beads. White represents the loss of a child, purple the loss of a relative or friend, teal for supporting someone who struggles, blue for awareness, and the new rainbow colors honor the LGBTQ community.
Greg and Diana Haverly wore teal and blue beads during the walk as they joined their son Brian.
“This walk is important to me because we still have Brian, but I also lost a brother to suicide,” said Diana
Brian’s parents flew to Hilo from Pennsylvania to surprise him.
“I’m a veteran and I have PTSD,” shared Brian. “This means a lot to me because I’m still here, and I didn’t know these guys were coming today. It really means the world to me.”
The tone of the walk is far from somber as cheers and car horns honk in support of the group as they follow the one-mile loop from the Aupuni Center down Kamehameha Avenue and back via Kilauea Avenue.
Goebert holds a sign reading “Prevent Suicide” and walks in front of two young researchers who are entering the prevention field.
“When someone you love is in crisis, the thing you can do is just listen, with your heart, with your full body, and don’t be afraid to just ask that scary question, ‘Do you think about suicide?’ Research has shown that it is not triggering,” said Patteera Vongtangton.
Vongtangton is a medical doctor and researcher who recently completed a study where Artificial Intelligence models predicted suicide ideation across social media. She received a grant to work with Goebert and flew from Thailand to join the task force.
“The initial findings of my project in Thailand shows that we can use AI to predict suicide ideation on Facebook, with sensitivity around 82%,” she said. “I would not say that AI will definitely diagnose or detect 100% anyone at risk, but I think together we can help each other using technology with community task forces and make it more accurate and effective.”
Cade Akamu walked alongside Vongtangton, with his research at UH Manoa focusing on community outreach programs.
“For suicide prevention, it’s all about community work as well as community support systems,” he said. “My study is mainly looking at different community support structures and how they interconnect to better assist youth, as well as adults, who are thinking about suicide.”
Both believe Hawaii is at the forefront of suicide prevention techniques and training.
“Hawaii is unique in that we have many different players focusing on this problem from many different aspects that address different needs for different youth, because no one is the same,” said Akamu. “Suicide is a complicated issue that we still have only scratched the surface on understanding, and preventing one suicide death will impact many people.”
The walk ended with a resource fair that provided support services for suicide prevention.
Hawaii Island Prevent Suicide task force meetings are held the second Thursday of every month, and those interested can contact co-chair Duley at hipreventssuicide@gmail.com
Additional resources can be found at the American Foundation of Suicice Prevention at afsp.org/chapter/hawaii and the Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center at hhhrc.org
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention lifeline at 988, the Hawaii CARES crisis line at 1-800-753-6879, or text ALOHA to 741741.
Email Grant Phillips at gphillips@hawaiitribune-herald.com
