By The Editorial Board
Joking about mental health is easy. Actually facing mental health issues head-on is not.
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. In 2024, The Editorial Board put out a piece about raising suicide prevention awareness year-round. This year, we’re helping you figure out how to navigate it.
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), the first step to helping someone at risk is to talk to them. Sometimes we worry that broaching the topic will only make the situation worse, but studies show that merely asking if someone is thinking about suicide does not lead to increases in suicidal ideation.
Ultimately, it’s better to offer an ear than it is to turn away when you think someone is struggling.
To have this talk, the National Institute of Mental Health provides five action steps: ask your friend if they are thinking about suicide, be there to listen, help keep them safe by reducing access to lethal items or places, help them connect with resources like 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and follow up with them afterward.
If you are the one struggling, this advice works both ways. Reach out to a friend and tell them about your struggles, be willing to accept help and connect with the 988 Lifeline. In a 2024 poll, 3% of Americans said they or a loved one contacted the 988 Lifeline. If you were to reach out, you would not be alone in doing so, and the call is confidential.
If you don’t know someone struggling, there’s still something you can do to help: reduce stigma, but don’t make light of a very real issue. The line “The minute that September hits I’m goin’ off my medicine” from “End of August” by Noah Kahan may be trending, but don’t hitch your ride to that bandwagon without knowing the facts. AFSP specifically advises that content creators should not discourage the use of medicine, as it has been proven effective for those with mental health conditions.
What’s more concerning is the continued use of suicide as a punchline. While we do want to reduce stigma so that those with suicidal ideation feel comfortable discussing it, we do not want to make it a joke. According to AFSP, as of 2024, suicide was the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S., and an estimated 2.2 million Americans attempted suicide — 1.5 times the number that did in 2023.
Suicide is a very real and very serious problem.
Even some of us on The Editorial Board are guilty of saying jokes along the lines of “I’m going to kill myself” in response to minor inconveniences, but that ends now. Do not make suicide jokes and hold your friends accountable when they do. When someone makes a joke, ask them why they find it funny. It’s awkward, but it’s worth it to break the habit.
So reach out to your friends about their mental health and support their healing. Encourage them if they’re willing to accept help, go to therapy or take proper medication. Most importantly, remind them that you’re glad they’re here.
Letter from the editors: If you or someone you know is struggling, Baylor has a plethora of mental health resources, including the CARE Team, the Counseling Center and Uwill, which provides free online counseling to Baylor students.
