Isolation blamed for growing local suicides; help is just a phone call away

Mar. 22—Suicides in Mercer County during 2023 more than doubled from the prior year, which concerns local healthcare providers and agencies.

There were 20 suicides in the county last year, the highest number recorded since 2019, when there were 21 self-inflicted deaths, Mercer County Coroner John Libonati said. In 2022 there were 9 suicides in the county.

National suicide figures also have increased, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has called it a serious public health problem. Suicides nationally last year eclipsed 50,000 — the highest figure on record.

Mental health professionals give multiple reasons given for the increase, but cited post-pandemic effects is a big factor.

During the pandemic, people were isolated and largely hunkered down in their homes for over a year. That isolation created depression and other mental maladies.

But that isolation wasn't just due to the pandemic, Libonati said. It's been building for years.

"Today people don't know their neighbors," he said. "Nobody connects with their neighbors now like when I was a kid."

He encouraged people to seek out those in their community who have become isolated and help them become connected with others.

American culture weighs heavily on the psyche, Libonati said.

"Our world today fosters an environment of making people they aren't valued," he said.

To escape that feeling, Libonati said people sometimes self-medicate with drugs and alcohol to numb the mind, which further leads to a downward spiral.

Libonati has been publicly open about his daughter's death last year from drug and alcohol addiction due to mental illness. He saw first-hand the powerful effect the combination had on her.

"She had a feeling of low worth and value," he said "And she surrounded herself with people who didn't value her."

Local mental health organizations stress there's help readily available — for everyone. The Community Counseling Center of Mercer County and the Mercer County Behavioral Health Commission are among the groups with staff trained to help the despondent.

It just takes one phone call, Dr. John Mahinis, Community Counseling 's chief executive officer and a psychologist, said.

"We'll have somebody on the other end of that phone ready to help and guide people to the next step, whatever that may be," Mahinis said. "If someone is threatening to harm themselves, we will guide them to a safe environment and a psychiatric setting."

From there, callers will be evaluated on their needs, which could mean taking them to an appropriate mental health facility for further evaluation.

Getting someone mentally healthy again requires a plan, which could mean outpatient therapy groups offered at Community Counseling, he said.

"People need to know they're not alone," Mahinis said. "Please call us."

Rodney W. Carson is among the staff at Community Counseling trained at helping those who are depressed. A licensed clinical social worker, Carson also serves as its director of drug and alcohol services.

"One of things we do is talk to people about how important they are, and how much they mean to others," he said.

Those thoughts were repeated among all in the local mental health field and elsewhere.

When giving talks to local groups on mental health challenges, Libonati said he tells them that individuals in the community are important.

"If I can reach just one person, I want everyone to understand they're valued," he said.

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