There were 49,316 deaths by suicide in the United States in 2023 – someone every 11 minutes. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 34, second only to accidents of all kinds. Rob Harrison, MD, came out of retirement to train YNHHS employees and others in suicide-prevention tactics.
More than 1,100 employees across Yale New Haven Health have taken a course that provides evidence-based tactics on how to steer potentially suicidal individuals toward life-saving help.
That’s good, but more lives could be saved if more employees take the course, according to the program’s coordinator.
“I encourage people to take the course simply because it could help you save the life of somebody you know,” said Rob Harrison, MD, YNHHS suicide prevention coordinator, who came out of retirement to run the program. “You could save the life of a relative, a friend, a neighbor, a coworker; anyone you know.”
A retired Westerly Hospital emergency physician, Dr. Harrison has devoted the past eight years to suicide prevention, including training more than 5,000 Rhode Islanders, YNHHS staff and also providers with Yale School of Medicine.
The course he teaches is sanctioned by the national QPR Institute, which is committed to saving lives and reducing suicidal behaviors through proven prevention training. QPR helps people identify warning signs, such as someone withdrawing from friends, for example, then teaches how to respond.
QPR stands for Question (ask a person directly, “Are you thinking of committing suicide?”); Persuade (convince that person to let you help them get professional help); and Refer (help the person get the correct referral for help).
Virtual online courses are offered regularly through YNHHS’ Learning Management System (LMS); type “QPR” into the LMS search bar.
Laura Cotto, program supervisor of the Nurturing Families program at L+M Hospital, said the course equipped her to help a mother in their program who was presenting with suicidal ideation.
“We helped her make a plan for her babies to be cared for while she received inpatient treatment and spent time focusing on her own wellness so she could go back to being the mom her children needed,” Cotto said. “I can’t help but wonder how many more stories there are of people who decided to stay [alive] another day because of Dr. Harrison’s efforts.”
According to a QPR Institute survey, an estimated one out of four people trained has an opportunity to use the training within two years of taking the course.
“The bottom line is, people don’t want to die,” Dr. Harrison said. “They just don’t know how to get out of the struggle they’re dealing with. Most people will put out clues and warning signs, particularly the week before they attempt suicide. If we can intervene, we really can make a difference.”
