JBSA events focus on suicide awareness, prevention

The 2015 5K Run for Life – set for Sept. 12 at JBSA-Randolph’s Eberle Park, Sept. 13 at Worth and Stanley roads on JBSA-Fort Sam Houston and Sept. 26 at JBSA-Lackland’s Gillum Fitness Center – will remind service members of the resources that are available to help them become more resilient.

The events, part of the Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month observances, include resiliency fairs featuring representatives of military and family readiness centers, mental health flights, chaplains’ offices, school liaison offices, Military OneSource, Train a Dog Save a Warrior, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Project Welcome Home Troops and other organizations and agencies that provide mental health resources.

“The purpose of the 5K runs is to bring awareness and prevention to our military population,” Gina Ramirez, JBSA outreach/resiliency professional, said. “We’ve seen the completion of several suicides this year throughout JBSA, indicating a serious need in our community for prevention.”

Ramirez said hosting the 5K Run for Life events “gives us, as a community, a chance to remember those we’ve lost while focusing on building up the protective factors of our military community.

“We will have on- and off-base support resources for participants to gain the knowledge to recognize the signs and symptoms in order to prevent a suicide,” she said.

Registration for the 5K running events will begin at 7 a.m. and the run will start at 8 a.m. at each event. Awards will be presented to the top three male and female runners, and all participants will receive an “I run for life” reflective belt and "I ran for life" finisher’s dog tag while supplies last.

At JBSA-Randolph, information on suicide prevention will be available through Thursday at the family health clinic and a resource table will be set up Thursday at the Rambler Fitness Center.

Statistics show that the number of suicides per year for Air Force active-duty and selected reserve component members has been up and down since 2003, but an upward trend began in 2010, when 60 suicides were recorded. The highest number in the 12-year period was 65 last year, and 35 were recorded through July 26 this year.

Statistics for the Army show a mostly steady rise through 2012, when 185 suicides were recorded. The number of suicides declined to 146 in 2013 and 136 in 2014.

Ramirez said the top two predictors for suicide among military members are relationship issues and legal problems.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Health, signs of depression and suicide risk include changes in personality, behavior, sleep patterns and eating habits; loss of interest in friends, sex, hobbies and activities previously enjoyed; feelings of overwhelming guilt, shame and self-hatred; drug or alcohol abuse; recent loss of a loved one; suicidal impulses; and giving away favorite things.

Army Maj. Trisha Stavinoha, a 5K Run for Life organizer and chief of Outpatient and Community Nutrition Services at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston’s Jennifer Moreno Primary Care Clinic, said the armed services’ efforts to address suicide include “regular training sessions to teach people to recognize the signs and more intense training sessions to teach people how to help someone who is struggling.”

The Air Force’s Comprehensive Airman Fitness paradigm builds resilience in its members by focusing on a balanced and healthy lifestyle across mental, physical, social and spiritual domains.

The Air Force has also enhanced its suicide prevention efforts by changing its annual training from a computer-based course to face-to-face training.

Other resources for suicide prevention include the Air Force Suicide Prevention website and the Airman’s Guide for Assisting Personnel in Distress. Military members may also call the Military Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 or go online to chat at http://www.militarycrisisline.net or http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.