CNN Announces Suicide of Host, Anthony Bourdain
Still reeling from news of fashion designer Kate Spade’s suicide earlier this week, fans of Anthony Bourdain woke to news on June 8 that he too had taken his own life. The celebrities’ tragic deaths come as a new report highlights the growing problem of suicide in the United States.
Bourdain hosted one of the most popular shows on CNN. In an article at CNN.com, it was noted:
“In death, as in life, Anthony Bourdain brought us closer together.
“We’re losing more people to suicide than we would if the 9-11 attacks happened 10 times every year. This isn’t someone else’s problem, it’s up to all of us to come together and talk about it,” said Glenn Most, PsyD, executive director of West Pines Behavioral Health. “Even if someone seems like they have everything, they might still be struggling with something they’re afraid to talk about. We need to reach out to the people we know and ask how they’re doing, that’s how each one of us can help turn this around.”
Most participates in a coalition of public and mental health groups behind the “Let’s Talk Colorado” campaign, a program encouraging Coloradans to talk openly about mental health. Experts recommend individuals to reach out to others who seem stressed, sad or just not themselves, and ask them how they’re feeling. The next step, they say, is to encourage someone to seek professional help if needed.
“The most important thing we can all do is start that conversation,” Most said.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention weighed in on the tragedy as well. The organization released a statement offering some suggestions on how to prevent such events. “Working together, there are steps we can take now to help prevent suicide:
- “Improve funding for research to fully address the steps needed to identify people at high risk in community and clinical settings
- “Increase public awareness of the importance of mental health and effective health care. Currently less than half of people with a diagnosable mental health condition in the U.S. receive mental health treatment
- “Fully funding the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) will allow for improvements in the death reporting system so we will be able to better understand the factors at the time of suicide and survey the problem with greater accuracy and timeliness
