Sue Soltis of Derry Township can empathize with those who have been touched by the rising number of suicides in Westmoreland County, which accounted for a record number of 62 deaths last year.

She found help with a Survivors of Suicide bereavement support group in Pittsburgh when her family was racked by two deaths by suicide. Her sister, Heidi Yahr Sultanov, 43, died on June 18, 2001, and her mother, Wilma Yahr, 73, died on Feb. 11, 2003.

“I’m not in trauma now because it’s been so many years, but it’s something you never let go of,” said Soltis, who also received individual counseling.

Now, Soltis, who grew up in Squirrel Hill, helps others in Westmoreland County who have experienced similar losses.

She is a member of the county’s Ray of Hope Suicide Awareness and Prevention Task Force. She also helps to facilitate monthly meetings of an affiliated LOSS (Loved Ones Stolen by Suicide) Support Group for fellow survivors.

She’s also part of Westmoreland’s Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors team, responding to offer support and understanding in the immediate aftermath of a suicide.

“We get notified when there is a loss in the county,” Soltis said. “We go with a care package to the family.

“I’m one of the loss survivors. I initiate the conversation with the family to tell them they aren’t alone: there is hope, support and resources for them.”

The sooner those who have lost a loved one to suicide can receive support, the better, Soltis said.

“We are at four times greater risk to die by suicide,” she said. “We are at risk for depression and anxiety because of what we’ve experienced.”

That risk was all too real for Soltis’ family.

”My mother couldn’t take her own anguish,” she said.

Soltis’ family began to heal by dedicating a bench in her sister’s memory and planting a nearby tree in her mother’s memory in a playground at Pittsburgh’s Frick Park.

“I didn’t want to visit them in a cemetery,” she said. “I’d rather go to a playground where there is laughter and life and children.”

Soltis has continued that healing process through her work with Ray of Hope and the LOSS program.

“I’m turning my pain into purpose, by talking about the things we don’t want to talk about,” she said. “When you come from a family that doesn’t talk about mental health issues, that’s a problem. Silence is a problem with mental health; you’ve got to talk about it.”

“Untreated depression and anxiety has been the main factor for recent suicides, along with loss of relationships,” said Heather McLean, who chairs Ray of Hope and is the outreach coordinator for Mental Health America of Southwestern Pennsylvania.

McLean and Soltis note portions of the population that have been particularly hard-hit by suicides include white men ages 40-60 as well as elderly people, who may have difficulty maintaining social connections.

“The No. 1 protective factor is being connected with other people,” Soltis said.

Suicides were on the rise nationally and locally in 2022, and the losses in Westmoreland County show no signs of slowing.

Last year’s 62 suicides in Westmoreland were the most recorded since 2002, when the county coroner’s office began posting annual reports online. There were 41 suicides reported through August of this year, compared to 38 during the same period last year.

Nationally, suicide deaths rose from just over 48,000 in 2021 to about 49,500 last year, according to provisional estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Men ages 41-60 accounted for 19 of last year’s Westmoreland suicides, while there were 15 suicides among both sexes age 71 or older. Combined, those account for about 55% of the total number.

Suicides among the elderly were “the most alarming thing with our office last year,” Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson said. “That trend has continued this year as well.”

In at least one recent case, he said, the person had received bad health news.

Suicide cases “involve a lot of different situations,” Carson said. “Depression definitely factors in.”

Since Carson began his term as coroner early last year, he has encountered one suicide case where bullying was considered to be a factor.

“That’s one too many for me,” he said. As a result, he said, he intends to offer an anti-bullying program for local schools.

Carson also has been working with Soltis and other members of the LOSS team on outreach to loved ones affected by suicide.

“It’s been a real positive — whatever we can do to help the families, working with the different mental health organizations and letting people know there’s help out there,” he said.

With the arrival of National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in September, Soltis noted Ray of Hope has a subcommittee dedicated to addressing the problem of suicide among military veterans.

The United States saw close to 6,150 veteran suicide deaths in 2020, according to the most recent National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, issued last year by the Department of Veterans Affairs. That rate was 57% higher than the rate of suicides among non-veteran adults.

Soltis said Ray of Hope is “really trying to reach out to the veteran population. That’s an area we try to focus on.”

Help is available

Help is available year-‘round, 24 hours a day for those who are experiencing suicidal thoughts, depression or personal crisis.

Call 800-836-6010 to reach the Westmoreland County Crisis Hotline. Call or text 988 for the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Dial 988, then press 1, or text 838255 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line.

Visit rayofhopewestmoreland.org to learn more about suicide prevention programs and services in Westmoreland County.

For more information on the Ray of Hope LOSS Support Group, call 724-834-6351, Ext. 118.

Visit bethe1to.com for tips on reaching out to those who may be at risk for suicide.

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