HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) — September marks National Suicide Prevention Month, an important reminder that deaths by suicide is a national health crisis and one of the leading causes of fatalities in the U.S. and the 11th-leading cause of deaths in Virginia.
According to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, in the Commonwealth there were 1,230 people who died by suicide statewide in 2023. And, as of Sept. 3, there have been 756 certified deaths by suicide accounted for this year.
“We’ve seen a little bit of an uptick,” says Kathe Goller, Virginia American Foundation of Suicide Prevention executive director. “That may be some of the changes in how people are living and operating. During the pandemic, there was a lot of focus on mental health and there were a lot more people reaching out. And I think as people have returned to life, it changes how they’re managing their mental health.”
While suicide doesn’t discriminate, there are certain groups that may have suicidal thoughts or attempts more than others.