National Suicide Prevention Week is a national campaign across the United States with a goal to inform people about suicide and the warning signs of suicide. This year it was held nationally Sunday, Sept. 10 to Saturday, Sept. 16.

According to the CDC, suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States. In 2022, the CDC recorded that an estimated 49,449 people took their lives across the US.

On their website, the CDC said, “Suicide was responsible for 48,183 deaths in 2021, which is about one death every 11 minutes.” 

However, the CDC also notes that the number of people who think about or attempt suicide is even higher. 

Counselors and staff members at Rancho Cucamonga High School speak up on the students who struggle with their mental health and thoughts of suicide.

“Suicide Prevention Week is important because we have many supports that students may not be aware of,” RCHS counselor Ms. Concetta Aguilera said. “Suicide is a permanent answer for temporary problems, and we want to remove that stigma and help them through this hurdle.”

According to the CDC, suicide is one of the leading causes of death in teens and young adults. Knowing the signs and speaking up can help bring about more awareness.

“The more awareness there is, everyone will be on the same page about seeing signs and if they don’t know, there’s no way to help,” RCHS counselor Mr. Moui Fifita said. “Being educated to see kids that are non verbal or distancing themselves, helps students or teachers to know when or how to check them.”

The week of Sept. 18-22, RCHS Peer Counsling hosted activities during both lunches in the quad to remind students that suicide is not the only option and that there are places to go when you start thinking about suicide. One of the lunchtime activitis for the RCHS Suicide Prevention Week was coloring. Small activities such as coloring and painting can help calm someone down and take their minds off of the things that are bothering them. 

Peer Counseling is located in room V104. If students ever need someone to talk to who is not an adult, they can visit peer counseling. Everything is confidential, and it can be a great way to resurface yourself when you just need some extra support.

Taking time to understand why people think about suicide and how you can help them can make a big impact on someone’s life. It is important to understand that people might be struggling with something one can’t see. Checking in on someone each day can help them drastically.

If you or someone you know if considering suicide, please seek help.

National Suicide Prevention Hotline – Text 988 or call 1-888-628-9454

Text “home” to 741741 for free support

Text “teen” to 839863 for confidential support