September Is The 7th Annual Suicide Awareness Month

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Throughout September several events and activities are happening in Windsor-Essex to generate awareness, understanding and education about suicide.

“There remains so much guilt and stigma around suicide and yet we know the only way we can help is to talk about it directly and encourage families to talk about the impact,” says Kim Willis, Director, Communications & Mental Health Promotion.

The Community Walk is back in-person this year on Sunday, September 25th, 10:00am at the St. Clair College Sportsplex. This free, pet-friendly event includes remarks from community partners, a 5K walk, resources and refreshments. For planning purposes, pre-registration is appreciated at, https://windsoressex.cmha.ca/events/walk2022/.

The walk is part of a larger community effort aimed at suicide prevention. In 2021 the Windsor-Essex community adopted the Roots of Hope framework, part of a national initiative from the Mental Health Commission of Canada that seeks to reduce the impact of suicide on local communities through community-driven evidence-based suicide prevention interventions. To learn more about Roots of Hope contact www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/roots-hope.

Recent stats have indicated suicide numbers may be down but it is a very complex issue, says Willis. In many instances deaths are not documented as a suicide. Additionally, drug overdoses have increased significantly which is cause for concern with 19 Opioid alerts issued since January 2021.

A Virtual Vigil is planned for Saturday, September 10th (World Suicide Prevention Day) at 7:30 pm. Suicide prevention trainings are also happening throughout the month along. For a complete list of activities visit, windsoressex.cmha.ca/suicide-awareness/awareness-month/events-calendar/.