Dr. Pam Kohlmeier: Learning about suicide prevention could save a loved one’s life

Suicide has rocked my family. In memory of my child, Katie Thew, who battled chronic pain and died by suicide on Oct. 6, 2022, I offer these words to help other families avoid this grief.

Rampant mental health challenges including depression, along with more and more communities recognizing they lack adequate resources to help those in need, inspired the creation of a month devoted to suicide prevention. Suicide Prevention Month (September) has just come and gone, and now our family is mourning another milestone, the two-year anniversary of Katie’s death.

Sadly, our health care system remains ill-equipped to handle patients with chronic pain and mental health challenges and has somehow even managed to move backward.

The recent closure of the adolescent psychiatric unit at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center is a devastating blow to our community. I am unclear how a hospital whose mission prioritizes caring for our most vulnerable somehow rationalized defunding inpatient care of kids experiencing a mental health crisis. This summer, Providence announced it had decided to close its adolescent psychiatric unit. Providence’s statements implied the closure was necessary because of the national shortage of psychiatrists. I was offended and saddened by these statements because what was implied did not reflect the whole truth. Providence failed to mention that it had laid off all of its inpatient psychiatrists, including the four psychiatrists who specialize in adolescent care, about 18 months earlier. That administrative decision is what then made the national psychiatrist shortage relevant.

According to the suicide prevention QPR Institute, suicide remains the most preventable cause of death. Let that sink in. Then consider committing to doing something to help change that.

Our Spokane Regional Health District through the Medical Reserve Corps has been training QPR instructors, like me, and offers QPR courses throughout our community on a regular basis. On average, we volunteer to teach the course once a month. Please contact mrc@srhd.org to request a training for your organization or to learn of upcoming courses available in our community. All QPR participants receive a booklet with materials on mental illness, suicide prevention, and how to address a mental health crisis. Taking this course could help save a life of someone you love.

Learning about suicide prevention is key to reducing suicides in our community. As an emergency physician, I am a proponent of science and math education, but I also recognize that few young adults die because they somehow failed to learn calculus. Yet today, our education system prioritizes teaching high-level math over basic psychology and life skills, including coping strategies. As a parent, I will attest that my child’s perfect math score on the SAT offered them zero protection against suicide and continues to offer me zero consolation from the pain of grief.

For anyone grieving the loss of a loved one by suicide, there is a support system available. Survivors Of a Loved One’s Suicide support group meets 5:30-7 p.m. every Tuesday at Hope Haven Counseling, 323 S. Pines Road. It is a free support group that has helped many, including me. While it is normal to hope to never need a support group such as this, if you or someone you love has been touched by the debilitating pain of suicide, I highly recommend joining.

Additionally, there are state and local organizations that help support individuals and families affected by the challenges of mental illnesses and avoid the tragedy of suicide. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (commonly known as NAMI) has national, state and local branches (including one located downtown in Spokane in a beautiful new space) that help individuals and families learn how to understand and address the challenges of mental illnesses. The public is encouraged to visit the NAMI-Spokane website at namispokane.org to learn more.

Additionally, Prevent Suicide Spokane Coalition, a group of individuals and organizations in behavioral health, education, government and the private sector, collaborates to help decrease the risk of suicide in the Greater Spokane Area. The public is encouraged to visit its website at spokanesuicideprevention.org.

Even with organizations like NAMI and PSSC, suicide prevention remains challenging in our community. So, what can each of us do to help? We can become trained on how to help prevent suicides. We can push school boards to prioritize mental health education. We can demand health care systems improve access to mental health services. In short, we can and must keep pushing to help those who may not be able to advocate for themselves.

Dr. Pam Kohlmeier is a candidate for Washington state representative in the 9th Legislative District, position 2. Kohlmeier is dually licensed as a physician and attorney in the state of Washington. In Washington, Kohlmeier previously served as an emergency physician for the Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center pediatric emergency department, then as lecturer for the Master of Public Health Program at Eastern Washington University. Most recently, Kohlmeier served as the policy manger for the Washington Medial Commission which licenses and disciplines doctors and physician assistants.