Nov. 13--SEBRING -- Highlands County's unemployment rate in September was 11.6 percent, up significantly from the 8.4 percent in September 2008.

Could the economic woes affecting the entire country be leading to an increase in suicide rates?

Probably.

"Statistics are showing that that is a pretty prevalent reason right now," said Stanley Schmidt, psychosocial rehabilitation director for Sebring's Reflections Wellness Center.

In Highlands County, there were 46 suicide attempts between July 1 and Nov. 1, according to records from the Highlands County Sheriff's Office. For that same period, four people actually took their own life.

The same period in 2008 was almost identical, with 47 attempts and five actual suicides.

Whether or not those people ended their lives because of the economy or another reason is uncertain. The sheriff's office does not release specifics when it comes to suicides.

In Elkhart County, Ind., whose population is comparable to Highlands County at less than 200,000, 22 people have killed themselves this year, outpacing the annual average of 16 self-inflicted deaths.

The county entered the economic downturn early, having been in a recession since December 2006, and could be a potential harbinger of similar national suicide increases.

Federal figures on suicides during this recession won't be available for at least two years because of a lag in the way the deaths are collected and reported.

Warning signs

Those who are contemplating suicide are very careful to not reveal their plans, according to Schmidt.

"They usually don't tell mental health officials they plan to kill themselves in the months before," he said, adding that if a person does discuss suicide, it's usually with a friend or family member.

As the county's population has grown over the last 30 years, so has its number of self-inflicted deaths. In 1979, with just under 46,000 people living in Highlands County, there were five people who took their own life, according to information from the Center for Disease Control.

The CDC's last year for national suicide statistics per county was 2006. In that year, Highlands County's population was approximately 97,594 and there were 20 suicides.

Some of the red flags raised that indicate a person may plan to kill themselves include making out a will, getting his or her affairs in order, suddenly visiting friends and family one last time, buying instruments of suicide like a gun, hose, rope or medication, writing a suicide note, losing pleasure in things they used to enjoy and substance abuse, according to Schmidt.

As director of Reflections, Schmidt said he works a lot with groups living in local assisted living facilities. In those sessions, a person may exhibit symptoms of depression because a friend has committed suicide or was Baker Acted because they were considered a danger to themselves.

Schmidt said he will let them vent for a while and get the anger and frustration off their chest before talking with them about dealing with their grief.

He added that there are two types of depression -- endogenous and reactive.

The first is a biological depression caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, Schmidt said. Reactive depression is brought on by a traumatic event, such as the death of a loved one.

No matter what may bring on depression, which may in turn lead to suicidal thoughts or tendencies, Schmidt said people need to know that there are those out there who do care about their mental health well being.

"If you were drowning and you saw me standing on the edge of the lake, you'd scream out for help wouldn't you?" he said. "It's the same thing."

FAST FACTS

There are two types of depression -- endogenous and reactive.

The first is a biological depression caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, Schmidt said. Reactive depression is brought on by a traumatic event, such as the death of a loved one.

No matter what may bring on depression, which may in turn lead to suicidal thoughts or tendencies, Schmidt said people need to know that there are those out there who do care about their mental health well being.

JoNel Aleccia, health writer for MSNBC, contributed to this report. Highlands Today reporter Brad Dickerson can be reached at 863-386-5838 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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Copyright (c) 2009, Highlands Today, Sebring, Fla.

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