(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Ian Gustafson

Suicide and mental health: A continued issue in Sask.

Dec 21, 2021 | 5:22 PM

Some call it the most wonderful time of the year.

For others who are experiencing mental health issues it can be a different story.

Doug Kinar with the Canadian Mental Health Association Prince Albert told paNOW for a lot of people the holiday season is not a happy time.

“It’s a lonely time. It’s a time of loss because they’re not able to be with their family, friends or loved ones. Whether by choice or just by circumstance,” Kinar said.

He added the temperature dropping to -20 C or more can also play a factor in thoughts of suicide as some people have limited availability to move about the city, which leads to isolation. The ongoing pandemic is also a reason he said explaining those who remain unvaccinated are being limited by restrictions in their everyday lives.

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The Prince Albert branch he said does not offer counseling but does provide programs and services. However, he added they’re good listeners and provide mental health first aid workshops as well as applied suicide intervention skills.

“Most people having thoughts of suicide have lost perspective, they’ve experienced a sense of loss and they don’t know where to turn to, so the only option left seems to be suicide,” he said. “Whereas if you provide them with other alternatives then you provide them with a change of perspective, and they start seeing the forest for the trees.”

Suicide stats

According to the Saskatchewan Coroners Service, in 2018 they reported 241 total suicides in the province. In 2019, they reported 207 and 197 in 2020. This year the data, which only includes up to October, there were 108 suicides. Of the number of suicides this year, 48 were Caucasian males, 21 were First Nation men and 27 were female.

According to Statistics Canada, higher risk populations include men, boys, people serving federal sentences, survivors of suicide loss and First Nation and Metis communities. Some key statistics published in 2019 report 11 people in Canada die by suicide every day and one in three deaths by suicide are among people ages 45 to 59. Approximately 4,000 people die by suicide each year.

Communities in the North

Councillor for the Lac La Ronge Indian Band for the community of Sucker River, Devin Bernatchez said suicides are a huge problem in the northern communities. It stems from inequalities in the north where they may not see the same services or resources as people do in Prince Albert or in the bigger centres, he said.

“It starts with the provincial government building capacity in the north. It’s a big problem and I see it in the communities that we serve here in the north and, with this pandemic, it’s just caused more depression amongst everybody young and old and so that’s where we need the provincial government and our federal partners as well to collaborate and help us to solve the problem.”

He added the holiday season is not always a happy time for everyone and that there are a lot of people who are struggling.

“When you look at depression, and the suicide and addictions you know it’s all interconnected. And so, we need to do better services with addictions, and we need to do better services with youth who are at risk for suicide,” he said.

At the beginning of the month Bernatchez visited the legislative building in Regina with MLA Doyle Vermette. He asked for the provincial government for help solving the suicide crisis in their communities.

To help fix the issue, he explained, all levels of government, including leaders of First Nation communities, need to collaborate. In the past he has seen rapid response teams offering mental health therapy visit the communities; putting on programming for youth, as well as offering beds for adults who could go and help.

“I don’t think there’s a lot of beds in the north and we’re working on that. I want to credit my chief Tammy Cook-Searson for advocating for a wellness centre here in the north and it’s coming to fruition. It’ll be coming here sooner than later.”

This cause means so much to Bernatchez as he has taught youth both in the classroom and on the ice as a minor hockey coach.

“My role as a community leader is to create future leaders. And so at the end of the day, I just want to help out youth become the best they can be. I was a troubled youth when I was younger and sports, positive activities and positive role models helped me out so just trying to pay it back to what people did for me when I was young.”

Bernatchez lost his cousin six weeks ago and explained he inspired him to make a difference. He hopes anyone who may be feeling depressed or lonely to stick around as there are people who love them.

Therapist advice

Gabrielle Ermine, a mental health therapist in Prince Albert said suicide is ongoing in Indigenous communities and that suicide ideations are a common question within her sessions.

Some advice she would give anyone with thoughts of suicide is to reach out their mental health therapists to develop their safety plans. She also recommends people to have at least three people to turn to in case one of them are busy. They can be people such as an elder, a therapist, an auntie, uncle, teacher, grandfather, or someone they trust.

Some factors that lead to suicide include poverty, issues with medications, abandonment, and the pandemic.

“In regard to why suicide is happening or why it’s ongoing is it’s happening on all different nationalities, more so Indigenous nationalities,” she said.

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Ian.Gustafson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @IanGustafson12