Jan Reece, outreach/training specialist for Juneau Suicide Prevention Coalition, holds up a card with contact information for suicide prevention resources after a screening of “The S-Word” at Gold Town Theater, Tuesday, March 5, 2019. (Ben Hohenstatt | Capital City Weekly)

Jan Reece, outreach/training specialist for Juneau Suicide Prevention Coalition, holds up a card with contact information for suicide prevention resources after a screening of “The S-Word” at Gold Town Theater, Tuesday, March 5, 2019. (Ben Hohenstatt | Capital City Weekly)

Movie night moves suicide into public focus

Documentary screening, discussion focuses on normalizing mental health discussion

After seeing “The S Word” Jenny Smith was struck by how many people she’s known who died by suicide.

“There’s been quite a few,” Smith said. “There’s more than a handful.”

Juneau Suicide Prevention Coalition offered a free screening Tuesday night of the documentary that collected suicide survivors’ stories from around the country and Smith, a Juneau resident who served in the Air Force, said it made her reflect on the prevalence of suicide as well as people’s aversion to seeking mental health help.

Smith said a scene in “The S Word” in which a college counselor said a survey revealed a majority of students would not judge a peer for seeking help but believed they would be judged if they sought help stood out and rang true to her experiences.

“I spent a long time in the military,” Smith said. “They always had mental health care available, but no one ever took advantage of it. It’s certainly ingrained in the American culture — pull yourself up by your bootstraps.”

[Getting ink for suicide prevention]

That mentality is something Juneau Suicide Prevention Coalition is attempting to change by bringing conversations about mental wellness and suicide into public settings via events such as a monthly survivors game night and movie screenings.

“Our mission, our goal is to create connectedness in Juneau and make people feel belonging in their community,” said Jan Reece, outreach/training specialist for JSPC.

Before the movie, suicide prevention magnets, wristbands, tote bags and gun locks were given away.

The film featured the stories of a handful of people who have survived suicide attempts as well as family members who have lost loved ones to suicide. The survivors uniformly said they were glad to have survived.

“I think things like this are really helpful,” Reece said during a short, open conversation after the movie. “Just having it be out in the open more. Creating an acceptance of asking for help is important in our community.”

Sam and Gayle Trivette, who had a child who died by suicide and have been JSPC members since 2008, said normalizing conversations about wellness and raising the public profile of suicide is important because it is a significant cause of death in the U.S, especially in Alaska.

The national rate of suicide in the U.S. was 14 per 100,000 people in 2017, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Alaska’s suicide rate was 27.11 per 100,000 people in 2017 — the second highest in the country.

Nationally, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and on average there are 129 suicides per day. One Alaskan dies by suicide every two days, according to the foundation.

[Singer talks about bringing Motown hits to Juneau]

“The S-Word” pointed out that loss of life on the national scale is equivalent to a small plane of Americans crashing every single day.

“If one plane a day were going down, the United States would consider it an emergency,” Reece said. “Talking about it helps. Silence is a big issue.”

Need someone to talk to?

The Alaska Careline Crisis Intervention can be contacted by calling 1-877-266-4357 or by texting “4help” to 839863.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 1-800-273-8255.

The Crisis Text Line can be reached 24/7 by texting “Home” to 741741.


• Contact arts and culture reporter Ben Hohenstatt at (907)523-2243 or bhohenstatt@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BenHohenstatt.


More in News

The Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Encore docks in Juneau in October, 2022. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)
Ships in Port for t​​he Week of Oct. 1

Here’s what to expect this week.

Michael Beasley drops a ballot into a drop box at the City Hall Assembly Chambers on Election Day Tuesday morning. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Preliminary election results: Tight Assembly races, narrow City Hall rejection

Results released early Wednesday, more votes to be counted in next two weeks.

Students in the Juneau School District fared better on standardized science tests during the past year than their peers statewide, but the local proficiency score of about 43% was nearly 6% lower than the local scores last year, according to results released last Friday. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)
Statewide test scores show Alaska’s students still struggling

About 37% proficient in science statewide; Juneau at 43%, down from 48.6% a year ago.

A closed sign sits on Delta’s ticket counter after hours inside Juneau International Airport in August of 2022. The airline announced this week it is suspending service between Juneau and Seattle from Nov. 4 to June 6, 2024. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire File)
Delta Air Lines canceling Juneau-Seattle flights from Nov. 4 until early next June

Airline cites “commercial and operational constraints,” analyst says higher local airfares likely.

Residents sit in voter booths at the voter center located at the Mendenhall Valley Public Library on Tuesday afternoon. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Election Day kicks off in Juneau

Preliminary results of municipal election expected to be announced late Tuesday night.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
Police calls for Monday, Oct. 2, 2023

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., leaves the House floor after being ousted as Speaker of the House at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
McCarthy becomes the first speaker ever to be ousted from the job in a House vote

WASHINGTON — Speaker Kevin McCarthy was voted out of the job Tuesday… Continue reading

An exercise station at Anchorage’s Westchester Lagoon is seen on Monday. The “Fitness Cluster” offers opportunities for strength and cardiovacular training, and signage gives fitness information and advice. Two-thirds of Alaska adults are overweight or obese, and about a fifth of them engage in no physical activity, according to an annual report released by the state Department of Health. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Report: Alaskans dogged by chronic diseases

Many residents lack healthy lifestyles or regular screenings.

Most Read