Why is no one talking about this? Suicides outnumbered COVID-19 deaths in Placer County well into September

Three events occurred within 10 days of each other in Auburn, each separate but, in the big picture, with something in common. On Sept. 8, each Placer County Supervisor explained why they voted unanimously to approve a resolution to terminate the declaration of the COVID-19 health emergency locally. Part of Board Chair Bonnie Gore's statement included, as reported in the Auburn Journal, "People are dying of isolation. People are committing suicide. People are hurting at home …" The next week, just as students were returning to campus for the first time in six months, an Instagram account surfaced seeking to expose "racist, sexist, and homophobic" students at Placer High School. And early on the evening of Sept. 18, Jessa Forman-Carroll of Auburn held a gathering for "Notes of Hope" at the Foresthill Bridge and continued her Johnathon Duran project to raise awareness for all suicides, including military suicides. While COVID-19 has dominated the media conversation since March, a staggering statistic has gotten next to no attention: From March 1 through Sept. 18, there were 39 deaths related to COVID-19 in Placer County. In that same period, there were 44 suicides. Before a recent surge that saw COVID-19 deaths increase in the county, suicides outpaced COVID-19 deaths by about 10 percent, according to data provided by the Auburn Police Department. It's affecting all age groups, including the elderly. And that begs the question: Why is no one talking about this? One answer is obvious: The pandemic. COVID-19 brought the world to a halt, and as October ends, cases continue to mount, businesses are closing, people are out of work, and events are still being canceled. COVID-19 remains the co-top story nationally alongside a hotly debated presidential election. Television networks continue to run crawls with the latest county, state and national totals of cases and deaths. A billboard on Interstate 80 east just before the Auburn city limits reminds motorists that 13,000 in California have died of COVID-19 and to "mask up." But there's hardly a word about suicide, even during National Suicide Prevention Month in September. The stigma of suicide The subject of suicide remains "taboo," says Forman-Carroll, who lost her cousin, Johnathon Duran, to suicide in 2016. "It needs to be talked about. For me, if we stopped making COVID a conversation, we would be able to see there is an actual epidemic happening." "I've been preaching that attention is on COVID, but hey people, we need to pay attention to what's going on in our own households," says Mike Boon, Senior Chaplain/Executive Director with Placer County Law Enforcement Chaplaincy, a 501c3 that serves every agency in the county, including state parks, CHP, the District Attorney's office and probation. "I have some strong opinions about the broad stroke of the media and what they've done to our society lately in the interest of their own politics. The broad stroke is creating such a pandemic of fear more than it is of COVID because everybody is so focused on their fears and shaming those who don't wear masks or ridiculing those who do, and that is just tragic." Following a recent suicide by an 11-year-old (outside Placer County), Boon said the child's school wanted to take the opportunity to educate and encourage families who are struggling with a suicide but, "They couldn't because the family didn't want it to be known it was a suicide." He said the family of a teenager who committed suicide from the Foresthill Bridge wouldn't let the chaplain discuss it at the service. "It's going to be another 10, 15 years before we move past it," Boon says. Says Forman-Carroll, "It really is a taboo subject. Some people think it needs to be shoved into a box in a corner. It stays there, and it festers." On the other hand, Forman-Carroll openly discusses her cousin's death. It was her first day at Sierra College. Johnathon Christopher Duran, 23, was stationed in Virginia on active duty in the Navy. She said he sent a text in the middle of the night, reminding family what to do with his body, assuring them he loved them, this wasn't about them, and asking they "make sure my wishes are filled," she says. Duran, who is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, was supposed to be deployed on the day he died. Cause, and permanent effect Forman-Carroll says her mom, Michelle, was in Auburn and on the phone with sister-in-law Stephani Bright, Duran's mom, when military personnel arrived at their Arizona home with the news. She says her mom has never forgotten the screams on the other end of the phone. "Every year I have a birthday, now I'm older than him. Every birthday, he should be 27 now," says Forman-Carroll, who lives in Auburn. "His (death) was very planned. He had music playing. He had his ID out. He had everything ready for when they found him. We talked about flying to Virginia to visit. And in a matter of 24 hours, it was gone, it was over." Meanwhile, another problem has surged in the younger generation with the growth of social media; it's known as "throwing shade," according to Auburn Police Chief Ryan Kinnan, who said he found it "interesting" the incident he investigated happened during National Suicide Prevention Month. The Instagram post targeting Placer High School students followed the nationwide MO: The account gained a small following and generated a handful of posts before it was quickly closed. But the damage was done. Beyond finding out who was responsible, Kinnan had another question: Who's protecting our children? "You can't stay on top of it fast enough," Kinnan says, describing these incidents as "not necessarily a crime but instead slander," adding it's "imperative for people to educate the kids on why we don't do this stuff." He says these posts are carried out "somewhat without fear of reprisal and accountability. Accounts are opened, things are being said, it catches attention, and they close the account. But those comments are out there regardless. People don't think about it when they say these things. They don't understand the impact this could have on the victim. People say (a victim) should have thick skin, but some of these comments are rude and disgusting." This type of cyber-bullying has led to suicides. The solution? Boon says it starts at home, often with family-oriented and conscious people who have trouble communicating with their kids. "The old phrase, 'Abusers abuse,' it's the same thing: Disenfranchised kids bully. We can't have civil discourse anymore. That starts in the family," Boon says. "Families need to pay attention to family again. They need to have conversations around the table. That's such a lost element in society. We need to start with our own kids and just say talk to them, learn to have conversations with them." Says Forman-Carroll, "Parents can't monitor every single thing their kid does. It's impossible. But parents need to talk to their kids more. Maybe their kids would have a safe haven, and feel safe. If we could create that outlet for kids, I think the suicide rate would go down, because they wouldn't feel as worthless as some kids make them feel." Solutions, and help Today, Forman-Carroll has stepped up and stepped in to bring awareness to suicide prevention. Placer County launched 211 Placer in March, a one-stop shop for any resource, including mental health, according to Board of Supervisors Chair Bonnie Gore. And the Placer Union High School District offers several resources on campuses and online for students, parents and faculty. Boon and Forman-Carroll say they'd love to visit area campuses and perform an assembly similar to "Every 15 Minutes," the well-known program that targets teens and drunk driving. Until then, Placer Union has an informative website that includes crisis support resources, for those who need immediate help; GritX, a mental health support website; and coping skills. The site lists crisis and text lines, teen help, a lifeline for LGBTQ+ youth and much more. Placer Union also employs a mental health staff of four. There is support on campus through a trained peer mentor, and the district partners with other agencies, including the Placer County Office of Education and Granite Wellness Center, to help connect students, staff and families who are struggling with mental health or drug/alcohol problems with appropriate agencies and therapists. There is the Brain Change to Mind club on campuses to help erase the stigma tied to mental health issues. Placer Union has increased its outreach this year and now sends a monthly letter to its website to remind families, students and staff of available support. "We do recognize there's a mental health crisis," says Dr. Carrie Warda, director of pupil services with Placer Union High School District. "We're doing all we can to engage the families." The district has partnered with Dr. Susan Landes of Auburn Davis Dialectical Behavior Therapy to offer free parent training on anxiety, depression and teen behavior through open Zoom meetings. "We've had a number of parents attend those," Warda says, adding the district has held movie screenings on teen anxiety and a Zoom roundtable discussion on suicide awareness. Staff also receives annual suicide awareness training. Gore says 211 Placer has been helpful since its March launch. The site has various resources for suicide prevention and loss, mental health and substance abuse. "Calls to our mental health provider have increased. If you need something, this is where you go," she says. "We need to stop stigmatizing (suicide) and acknowledge it's an issue and really encourage people there's help and hope if they're feeling depressed and despondent. There's nothing to be ashamed of if you ask for help. Every parent who has lost a child to suicide would say please tell me what's happening. Please ask for help." Forman-Carroll's gathering at the Foresthill Bridge drew 20-25 people who brought signs and displayed a hotline number, and a video was being prepared. Passers-by noticed the crowd. She referred to it as "a little bit of light that somebody might see in their dark days." She says it's unfortunate that when people think of the Foresthill Bridge, "they think jumpers." "I wish there was more we could do as a community, as a county, to prevent people from getting over (the fence)," she says, suggesting perhaps a net, "so nobody can jump." Forman-Carroll worked at Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital for three years and says there are resources for people who feel completely alone. "I'm tired of people feeling there's no way out, nowhere to turn to. Having 'Notes of Hope' out there, seeing us on Facebook, in the Auburn Journal, and without a doubt in my mind, if someone reached out, I would make them want to be alive. Even if it is just the suicide hotline, or if they go to a hospital, they'll be fed meals, they'll be taken care of. I don't want them to feel like that's their only option anymore." She encouraged people to share photos from the event and "get them across the globe." It's her motivation for her project in honor of her cousin, Johnathon Christopher Duran. "This is all because of him," she says. "Watching what my family went through, not knowing it was that bad. This project is going to be all about raising awareness and preventing suicides. I don't want this to be a taboo subject anymore." For more information Placer Union High School District: https://sites.google.com/puhsd.k12.ca.us/puhsdmentalhealthservices/resources-to-help-you-right-now?authuser=0 Placer County: https://211connectingpoint.org/placer-county/ https://211connectingpoint.org/placer-county/suicide-prevention-loss/ https://211connectingpoint.org/placer-county/mental-health/ On Facebook: Placer County Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention Walk National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-TALK (8255) Placer County crisis hotline: 916-787-8860