Hawaiʻi is ranked 39th among the states for death by suicide. It's the second leading cause of death for those aged 10 to 34.
For National Suicide Prevention Month, The Conversation sat down with Amanda Martinez from Mental Health America of Hawaiʻi to talk about a series of workshops and events promoting mental resilience.
"Someone does die by suicide about every other day here in Hawaiʻi, so we know it's very present and happening in our communities. So we need to be able to talk about it and educate ourselves on what to look out for as far as warning signs, but also to be able to identify different resources that are out there if we or someone that we love and care about may be struggling," Martinez said.
She said one of the first steps to suicide prevention is making time to take care of your mental health and encouraging other people to do the same.
"The more that we can do that, the more resilient we become, and the better we are able to show up where we need to show up in our life when it comes to jobs, when it comes to personal relationships, when it comes to just existing as a human being," she added.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Sept. 19, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
