Summit Wellness: Suicide Prevention Month

By: Sarah Swirsky, MSW, LISW-S, Music + Wellness Coordinator for the Summit FM

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and remind one another that support is available.

For those of us who love music, this issue can feel especially close to home. Unfortunately, we’ve lost many beloved musicians and members of the music community to suicide. Their losses are a reminder that mental health struggles can affect anyone—even the artists whose music has brought comfort, joy, and connection to so many of us.

Suicide prevention isn’t only about what happens in a moment of crisis. It’s also about connection—checking in on the people in our lives, listening without judgment, and making it a little easier to talk about mental health when things aren’t going well.

Music can help us create those connections, too. A song can help us say something we don’t quite have words for, remind us of someone we care about, or simply help us feel less alone. Send someone a song that made you think of them. Share a playlist. Invite a friend to a show. Or just ask someone how they’re doing—and take the time to really listen.

Throughout September, The Summit FM will be sharing special wellness moments focused on suicide prevention, mental health resources, and the importance of staying connected.

Resources

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (https://988lifeline.org/). Support is free, confidential, and available 24/7. You do not have to be suicidal to reach out.

If you’re looking for mental health or substance use services locally, the Summit County Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health (ADM) Services Board(https://admboard.org/) and the Trumbull County Mental Health and Recovery Board can help connect residents with local treatment, support, and community resources.

For musicians and people working in the music industry, MusiCares provides mental health, addiction recovery, and other wellness resources specifically for the music community.

The Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation also offers QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training(https://www.ohiospf.org/events_calendar/qpr-training/), which teaches everyday people how to recognize warning signs, have a conversation with someone they’re concerned about, and help connect them with support.

We all have a role to play in creating communities where people feel a little less alone. This September, check in, stay connected, share the music, and keep the conversation going.