Suicide increasingly a problem in Virginia during the coronavirus pandemic

Stafford is trying to find ways to get help to those in psychological distress because of the pandemic.

A discussion was held at Tuesday’s meeting Board of Supervisors on how to try and stem the tide of rising suicide rates in the county. As the pandemic continues there has been an uptick in the number of suicides due to depression caused by the effects of the pandemic.

At the beginning of the meeting, Falmouth District Supervisor Meg Bohmke read a speech acknowledging the issues specifically mentioning a recent murder-suicide in the county and how this has come about due to mental stress from the pandemic. Bohmke implored those watching that if they see someone in distress to reach out to them or if they’re in danger to contact the Sheriff’s Department’s non-emergency number.

Later, a discussion about mental health was led by Rock Hill District Supervisor Crystal Vanuch who asked what could be done to get information out to the public on where to go and who to contact should they or anyone they know be in mental distress.

Members of the board bounced ideas for bringing awareness to the issue as well as disseminating information on what to do if in mental distress. Griffis-Widewater District Supervisor Tinesha Allen suggested attaching information on both physical and online county bills as well as having links for mental health resources on the county website.

George Washington District Supervisor Tom Coen asked about working with websites that may reach out to people with such issues. Vanuch later asked about encouraging residents to check in on one another.

Another sign that the County is taking the situation seriously was the revelation that the Parks and Recreation Department had undergone Mental Health First Aid training. According to a county spokeswoman, 29 members of the department took part in the training that was provided by the Rappahannock Area Community Service Board.

Data from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner only covers the rate of suicides going back to 2018. Virginia saw a rise in the rate of suicides that year by 4.7% when compared to 2017.

Stafford County saw 27 suicides in 2018 which was a rise compared to 12 such acts in 2017.

Of the overall deaths by suicide, data from the Medical Examiner’s office show that of the 1,211 deaths in 2018, 81% of those who took their lives were white. Out of that number, 926 were male while 285 of those deaths were female, the data also shows that 56% of those deaths were committed by handguns.

Residents who are or know someone in mental distress can contact the Sheriff Department’s non-emergency number at 540-685-4400