The Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) has partnered with the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UH) and various state, local, military, public, and private sector entities to further the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and Federal Action Plan. The collaboration aims to support communities disproportionately affected by suicide, including men, rural populations, minorities, and essential workers such as farmers and first responders.
Suicide ranks as the second-leading cause of fatal injuries among Hawai‘i residents. On average, nearly four individuals die from suicide weekly in the state. Between 2019 and 2023, a total of 1,051 residents died by suicide. Men accounted for more than 76% of these deaths, with those aged 20 to 59 years old facing the highest risk. Meanwhile, females aged 15 to 19 had the highest risk for attempting suicide. These incidents have significant emotional, mental health, physical health, and economic repercussions.
The Culturally-Based Community Connections for Resilience (CCCR) project is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Minority Health. It seeks to establish a sustainable peer-mentor network among Hawai‘i’s essential workers to reduce suicide risks through enhanced social connections.
Professor Thao Le, principal investigator for CCCR stated: “It may seem suicide is a lone event — it is not... We need a course correction and can only do this when we create conditions for connections.”
Mark Kunimune from CCCR emphasized: “Passive suicide is a slow and silent killer in the Emergency Medical Services profession... Having a program such as this one can begin to make a huge difference.”
Renee Yu from DOH added: “Suicide can be preventable... Effective suicide prevention needs partners across the state from different sectors and disciplines to care, connect and collaborate.”
Resources are available for those struggling with mental health issues or suicidal thoughts:
- Hawai‘i CARES 988 offers free crisis support via call or text.
- The Hawai‘i Poison Center provides assistance for poisoning emergencies at 1-800-222-1222.
- The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Hawai‘i Chapter brings people together from diverse backgrounds.
- Local resources can be found on the Prevent Suicide Hawaiʻi Taskforce website.