Suicide prevention walk returns with focus on community and reaching Spanish speakers

People from across the Lowcountry came together in person for the first Out of the Darkness Walk since the start of the pandemic to raise money for suicide prevention. Social worker Megan Wallace, an instructor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina, said it was also a chance for them to share their experiences.

“There were a lot of really tough times last year, and a number of new survivors this year who lost people during the pandemic. Our focus was on bringing people together and connecting rather than just focusing on loss.”

 

The walk, at Charleston’s Riverfront Park, raised $40,000. “It provides money for research grants. We have faculty and trainees here who have gotten research grants from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention," Wallace said of the organization that hosts the nationwide events.

"It also funds patient services, support groups, training for mental health professionals, advocacy. And in South Carolina, they just recently adopted a new policy that all middle schools, high schools and state colleges will have the suicide prevention hotlines printed on the back of ID cards this year. It helps fund that, too.”

 

Teams linked to MUSC raised more than $16,000. The psychiatry team was honored for being last year’s top fundraising team. And bilingual therapist Martha Gomez was named this year’s outstanding volunteer for her dedication to making the event accessible to Spanish speakers. Parts of the speeches were in Spanish.

“We had almost 50 monolingual Spanish participants register for the event this year thanks to her tireless effort,” Wallace said. “In our community, in particular, there's a high population of Hispanic, Latinx families that are impacted by suicide, but they have not had the opportunity to participate in events in the past because of language access.”

 

No group of people is immune to tough times - especially now, with an ongoing pandemic. “I know just from personal experiences, working at a clinic here at MUSC, we've had higher waitlists than we've ever had, people reaching out for services. I think that may be a combination of more people looking for services as well as a lack of access to services during the pandemic, because so many centers were closed,” Wallace said.

She encouraged anyone having suicidal thoughts to know they’re not alone. “First, I would say that it's OK to have those thoughts. There are people who do understand what that's like, and it's OK if you feel like you can't hold onto hope right now, there are people that'll hold that for you. And to reach out. We actually have a suicide hotline that is specific to South Carolina in addition to the national hotline.”

To reach the South Carolina hotline, call 211 for support any time of the day. To reach the national hotline, call 800-273-8255. There’s also an online screening option in South Carolina for people 18 and older to do a self-check and connect with a professional counselor who offers guidance, support and resources.

Wallace, who lost a friend to suicide, said the Out of the Darkness Walk is one way to get mental health problems into the light. “There's a lot of shame and guilt surrounding mental health impacts as well as thoughts of suicidality. Part of the event is sharing stories and helping to show people that there are other people that understand what you're going through."