September is Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month, and for us at Bio X Hawaii, it is a subject that carries particular meaning. Through the work we do across Oahu, our team is sometimes called to homes and properties after a suicide has occurred. We see firsthand the impact these deaths leave behind—not only within a home, but among families, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and entire communities.
Because of what we see, we believe suicide prevention deserves to be talked about openly. One of the most important things we can do is stay clued in to the people around us.
Check In With Your ʻOhana and Friends
Life on Oʻahu can look beautiful from the outside. We have beaches, mountains, warm weather, and a strong sense of community. But none of those things makes someone immune to depression, loneliness, financial stress, relationship problems, grief, substance use, or a mental health crisis. Someone can be struggling even when everything appears fine.
Suicide prevention does not mean that we are expected to diagnose the people we love or know exactly what to say. Sometimes it simply means paying attention.
- Has a family member suddenly become withdrawn?
- Has a friend stopped doing the things they normally enjoy?
- Has someone experienced a major loss, breakup, financial problem, health issue, or other difficult life change?
- Are they talking about feeling hopeless, trapped, burdensome, or like there is no way forward?
Those changes are worth noticing. Sometimes one of the most important things we can say is simply: “How are you really doing?” And then give the person an opportunity to answer.
988 Has Made It Easier to Reach Someone
One of the biggest changes in suicide prevention in recent years has been the creation of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Instead of having to remember a long crisis hotline number, people can simply call or text 988. The Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and conversations are free and confidential. People can also reach 988 through online chat.
Here in Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi CARES 988 provides crisis support from trained professionals around the clock. Hawaiʻi residents can dial 988 or call 1-800-753-6879 to reach crisis services.
Having a simple three-digit number matters. When someone is overwhelmed, asking them to search for resources or figure out which agency to contact can create another barrier. With 988, the starting point is easy to remember. You also do not have to wait until someone is moments away from attempting suicide to use 988. The service is available for people experiencing emotional distress, mental health struggles, substance-use concerns, or simply a difficult moment when they need someone to talk with. Family members and friends can also contact 988 when they are concerned about someone and need guidance.
Suicide Prevention Is an Oahu Community Issue
The Hawaii Department of Health recognizes September as Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month and continues to identify suicide as a serious public health concern throughout the islands. For those of us living on Oahu, prevention starts within our own communities—Honolulu, Kapolei, ʻEwa Beach, Waipahu, Pearl City, Kāneʻohe, Kailua, the North Shore, and every community in between.
- It means checking on an elderly neighbor who lives alone.
- It means noticing when a coworker does not seem like themselves.
- It means calling a friend instead of assuming someone else will.
- It means giving our teenagers and young adults permission to talk about mental health without embarrassment.
And sometimes it means asking a difficult question instead of avoiding it because we are afraid of the answer.
You Don’t Have to Have the Perfect Words
People sometimes avoid talking about suicide because they are worried they will say the wrong thing. You do not need a perfect speech. Listen without immediately trying to fix everything. Take what the person tells you seriously. Let them know they matter to you. Encourage them to connect with professional support, and stay connected with them afterward.
The 988 Lifeline notes that actions such as providing support, talking openly about suicide and following up with loved ones can play an important role in suicide prevention. Sometimes a phone call, text message, cup of coffee, walk around the neighborhood, or simple “I was thinking about you” can open a conversation that someone desperately needed.
Bio X Hawaii Recognizes Suicide Prevention Month
At Bio X Hawaii, we normally enter the picture after something terrible has already happened. We would much rather see someone receive help before our services are ever needed. That is why Suicide Prevention Month matters to us.
This September, we encourage everyone on Oʻahu to pay a little closer attention to the people around them. Check on your family. Check on your friends. Check on the person who has been unusually quiet. Check on the person who always seems strong. And remember that asking for help is not limited to the person who is struggling. If you are worried about someone and aren’t sure what to do, you can reach out too.
Call or text 988 anytime, 24/7.
In Hawaii, you can also contact Hawaii CARES 988 at 1-800-753-6879.
If someone is in immediate danger or there is a life-threatening emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
This Suicide Prevention Month, let’s remember something simple:
Stay connected. Pay attention. Ask the question. Make the call.
Sometimes being present for another person can make more of a difference than we realize.
