Becky Knudsen and Dominique Van Pelt of the Onslow County Health Department discussed suicide prevention during Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and outlined steps residents can take to help people at risk.

Knudsen said suicide is a significant public-health problem nationally and locally; she cited that suicide ranks as the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S. and that about 49,000 people die by suicide annually nationwide. She said Onslow County is especially vulnerable because of a large military population and that at-risk groups include active-duty service members, veterans, people in certain industries (for example, construction) and people struggling with mental-health or substance-use disorders.

Knudsen urged reducing stigma, opening conversations and directing people in crisis to the 988 hotline for immediate mental-health support. Dominique Van Pelt described practical steps for concerned friends or family: recognize situational and behavioral warning signs, ask direct questions in a private and unhurried setting, use a supportive tone and then persuade and refer the person to care. Van Pelt described a one-hour Question-Persuade-Refer (QPR) training the health department offers for agencies and community groups; the training is limited to about 35 people and can be delivered at the health department (612 College Street) or on site. Agencies can request QPR via community_relations@onslowcountync.gov and the department's main line is (910) 347-2154.

Ending: Health department staff emphasized that "anyone can intervene" and recommended 988 for immediate mental health crises, QPR training for community groups, and local contact through the health department's community relations team for organizations seeking training.