New program aims to reduce the number of suicides across NC. How to get involved.

In 2021, North Carolina lost 1,448 lives to suicide — a number almost equivalent to wiping the Surry County town of Dobson off the map.

It’s estimated that North Carolina has seen the number of suicides increase by about 40% from 2004 to 2020, and the COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated the risks, said Anita Brown-Graham, founder and director of ncIMPACT initiative, in an interview.

For people who may have already been struggling with mental health issues, the lack of social interaction, of health care and available providers, meant deferred maintenance for both physical and mental health, Brown-Graham said.

A new project is hoping to change that trajectory.

Carolina Across 100 and the University of North Carolina Suicide Prevention Institute have partnered to launch a 12-month initiative to identify and implement strategies to improve mental health and reduce the number of suicides in North Carolina.

They are accepting applications until July 28 from teams across the state that are focused on public health, mental or behavioral health care or suicide prevention, and have an understanding of the communities around them.

“We want rural, urban, suburban. We want the Piedmont, the coast, the mountains. We want to to show that this work could be implemented in lots of different kinds of communities,” Brown-Graham said.

Every community in North Carolina has been affected by suicide and challenges in mental health, but every community has differences in populations, risk factors, assets and resources.

Patrick Sullivan, a psychiatrist, geneticist and leader of the UNC Suicide Prevention Institute, states that he hopes to work with individuals who understand their communities deeply, and help any team with communities that face high rates of suicide.

The project, called Our State, Our Wellbeing: Partnering to Prevent Suicide in NC, will provide resources to tailor the response based on local context. Teams will receive evidence-based resources, expert and peer support, technical assistance and a community toolkit to improve suicide-prevention resources and address barriers to access, especially for higher-risk groups.

“I hope what surprises me is a sense of optimism — that we can turn the tide on the trajectory,” Brown-Graham said.

Interested teams can apply at Our State, Our Wellbeing Application.

For additional information, contact Michael Welker, ncIMPACT Community Engagement Director, at mwelker@sog.unc.edu.

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a hot line for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a trained listener, call 988. Visit 988lifeline.org for crisis chat services or for more information.

The Crisis Text Line is a texting service for emotional crisis support. To text with a trained helper, text SAVE to 741741. It is free, available 24/7, and confidential.