Suicides down in Central Illinois amid pandemic, surprising local officials

At the beginning of the pandemic, mental health experts were worried about a spike in suicides.

But now, looking back, we're seeing the opposite.

Sheriffs in Sangamon, Macon and Champaign counties all expected suicide to increase during the pandemic.

Sheriff Dustin Heuerman of Champaign County said if you were to ask him in March what would happen, he'd say "probably child abuse is gonna go up, probably domestic situations are gonna go up and suicide thoughts are gonna go up."

Mental health professionals thought so too, including Ben Yamnitz, who oversees the Crisis Call Center at Memorial Behavioral Health, the local affiliate of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

"Everyone in our agency expected to see an increase in calls, but I think that even at a national level, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline also expected that there would be more people in need," Yamnitz said.

Isolation with no clear end in sight seemed like it could have devastating effects on mental health.

Calls did increase, but that spike in suicides never came.

"We had the worst case scenario in our mind as this came into view, and as it turned out, it was a worry we didn't have to have," Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell said.

"I'm surprised that it didn't take off as much as I thought it would," Macon County Sheriff Tony Brown said.

In fact, suicide numbers are actually down in each of the counties from this time last year.

• In Sangamon County, suicides from April to September were down from four to two.
• In Macon County, suicides from April to August were down from three to one.
• In Champaign County, suicides from April to August were down from three to two.

When asked if he was surprised about this decrease, Yamnitz said yes and no.

Yamnitz explained, even though it was an isolated time, it may have actually brought people closer together.

"It wasn't an isolation in that sense, in that I'm going through this all alone, it was we are going through this," Yamnitz said.

Yamnitz said calls to the hotline increased about 50%, but the percentage of calls about suicide remained about 20% of overall calls, which isn't abnormal during regular times.

Across Illinois, suicide data is still being collected, but early numbers show a drop in suicide deaths compared to last year.

IDPH reported:

"In the first half of 2020 compared to 2019, provisionally, suicide deaths decreased overall about 4%, but with increases in those under age 25 years and in the non-Hispanic black population. These are preliminary data and are subject to change."

The Illinois Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention said:

"Factors associated with the COVID-19 crisis such as anxiety, social isolation, fears related to the virus itself, economic stress, and disruption in routines can potentially impact our mental health, and be a contributing factor for suicide risk. However, suicide is complex and driven by multiple risk factors – it is not a singularly driven event."

It is more important than ever that people take proactive measures to mitigate risk and protect their own and others’ mental health.

Steps include staying connected with community, actively managing mental health, having open, honest conversations if you or someone you love is struggling, practicing self-care by exercising, meditating, and consuming the news in measured doses, and seeking professional help if needed.

According to a Harris poll, over half of Americans said they personally have become more open to talking about mental health since the start of the pandemic.

If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. Call 1-800-273-8255.