How we can expand support paths in suicide prevention

Tina Eldrige, DNP, PMHNP-BC

Submitted photo/Denova Collaborative Health

Reaching out doesn’t mean you need to have the perfect words or solution. Usually, the most meaningful thing you can do is listen. A sincere question, a little extra patience or simply making time to be present can help someone feel seen, heard and safe. Creating space for honest conversations without judgment can make it easier for people to share their struggles and take the next step toward seeking support.”

If You or Someone You Know is Struggling

If you are experiencing a mental health or suicide-related crisis, or you are worried about someone who may be, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for immediate support.

OPINION — For many people, suicide is not a distant issue. More than 2 in 5 U.S. adults report personally knowing someone who died by suicide, so it’s important to foster more open conversations about mental health and to make supportive resources easier to access.

Mental-health struggles are not always easy to see. Someone may continue going to work, showing up for family or moving through their usual routine while carrying more than people around them realize. That is why small changes in behavior, mood or connection can be worth paying attention to, especially when something simply feels different.

Reaching out doesn’t mean you need to have the perfect words or solution. Usually, the most meaningful thing you can do is listen. A sincere question, a little extra patience or simply making time to be present can help someone feel seen, heard and safe. Creating space for honest conversations without judgment can make it easier for people to share their struggles and take the next step toward seeking support.

Knowing what options are available

Support will look different from person to person. Some may benefit from speaking with a therapist or healthcare provider. Others may already be receiving care and need help finding an approach that better meets their needs.

This is especially important for people living with depression that’s difficult to treat, known as treatment-resistant depression, or TRD. When medications or therapy have not brought enough relief, there may be other options worth discussing with a provider.

One area of mental-health care that I’ve seen make an impact for medication-resistant patients is interventional psychiatry. I helped launch a transcranial magnetic stimulation program, a noninvasive treatment that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate areas of the brain involved in mood regulation. Programs like this and other methods like Spravato, a prescribed nasal spray, provide options for those who have not found relief with traditional antidepressants.

For me, the most meaningful part of this work is getting to know patients over time and seeing the progress they make, even when the road to recovery hasn’t been easy. Being able to offer additional tools and support along the way is something I’m grateful to do as a psychiatric mental-health nurse practitioner.

While I’ve seen options like TMS and Spravato make a meaningful difference for some patients, mental health treatment is never one size fits all. Every person’s experience is unique, and the most effective treatment plan depends on their individual needs, symptoms and goals. That’s why having an open conversation with a healthcare provider is so important. Together, you can explore available options and determine the approach that best supports your journey toward better mental health.

Finding the right path forward

For someone who has been struggling, simply learning that another care option exists can be meaningful. Progress may take time, and the path forward may change along the way, but there can still be room for improvement and hope.

As we recognize Suicide Awareness Month this September, we can help make that hope easier to find by paying attention to the people around us and making conversations about mental health feel more accessible. Sometimes one thoughtful check-in can be the first step toward helping someone feel seen, supported and connected to care.

Tina Eldrige, DNP, PMHNP-BC is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner in the Valley. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.