“Suicide is very, very complex,” said Itasca County Public Health Division Manager Kelly Chandler during a presentation to the Itasca County Board of Commissioners. On Tuesday, Oct. 23, Chandler provided the board with an exploration of suicide in Itasca County.
Tuesday’s presentation helped identify patterns in suicides, “with the goal of providing some upstream preventative work and early identification and treatment approaches to persons contemplating suicide or struggling with mental health in general,” said Chandler.
“There usually is not one single event that causes a suicide, and no single path leads someone to that place,” she explained. However, there can be some patterns or series of events that contribute to someone contemplating and completing a suicide.
“We often hear this narrative surrounding bullying, for example,” said Chandler. “Can bullying be a contributing factor? Yes, absolutely. Especially if the victim feels like they can’t escape what’s happening to them or they don’t feel like they’re receiving the help they need.” more
