тАЬOne of the things we do is help them see тАж that despite this situation now, you can create a vision for your future,тАЭ Davidson said.
A Good Future
Researchers say the promise of a good future is often overlooked in suicide prevention, perhaps because achieving it is so challenging. It requires economic and social growth and breaking systemic barriers.
Tevis Simon works to address all those fronts. As a child in West Baltimore, Simon, who is Black, faced poverty and trauma. As an adult, she attempted suicide three times. But now she shares her story with youths across the city to inspire them to overcome challenges. She also talks to politicians, law enforcement agencies and public policy officials about their responsibilities.
тАЬWe canтАЩt not talk about race,тАЭ said Simon, 43. тАЬWe canтАЩt not talk about systematic oppression. We cannot not talk about these conditions that affect our mental well-being and our feeling and desire to live.тАЭ
For Jamal Clay in Illinois, the systemic barriers started early. Before his suicide last year, he had tried to harm himself when he was 12 and the victim of bullies. At that time, he was hospitalized for a few days and told to follow up with outpatient therapy, said his mother, Maxie.
But it was difficult to find therapists who accepted Medicaid, she said. When Maxie finally found one, there was a 60-day wait. Other therapists canceled appointments, she said.
тАЬSo we worked on our own,тАЭ Maxie said, relying on church and community. Her son seemed to improve. тАЬWe thought we closed that chapter in our lives.тАЭ
But when the pandemic hit, everything got worse, she said. Clay came home from college and worked at an Amazon warehouse. On drives to and from work, he was frequently pulled over by police. He stopped wearing hats so officers would consider him less intimidating, Maxie said.
тАЬHe felt uncomfortable being out in the street,тАЭ she said.
Maxie is still trying to make sense of what happened the day Clay died. But sheтАЩs found meaning in starting a nonprofit called Soul Survivors of Chicago. Through the organization, she provides education, scholarships and shoes тАФ including JamalтАЩs old ones тАФ to those impacted by violence, suicide and trauma.
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