OPINION:
Suicide prevention cannot be confined to a single month of awareness. It must remain an urgent priority every day of the year. Nearly 50,000 Americans, including more than 1,200 Virginians, die by suicide annually. Young men are at particular risk. They represent the largest share of these heartbreaking deaths, a stark reminder that no community is immune and no family is untouched.
One such Virginian was Charlie Stephenson, a 21-year-old Alexandria native whose life was beautiful but whose death was heartbreaking and preventable. Only 11 weeks separated the moment his mother, Betsy, learned he was suicidal and the day he died. Charlie acknowledged he had been struggling for about a year, had secretly started therapy and even called a campus crisis line that helped him through dark moments. He promised his mom he would reach out again if the weight of his feelings grew too heavy.
For those 11 weeks, Charlie fought hard, leaning on therapy, family, friends and the activities he loved. Still, depression is deceptive and can overpower us, especially young people whose developing brains are not built to grasp the weight of impulsive, dangerous decisions. On July 10, 2022, depression killed Charlie.
Six days later, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline launched nationwide. We will never know whether 988 could have saved Charlie, but we do know that connection — to a friend, loved one or professional — can interrupt depression’s lies and prevent an irrevocable act.
In Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin has committed an unprecedented $1.5 billion to his Right Help, Right Now behavioral health plan, ensuring that help is available when and where it is needed. A statewide awareness campaign has quadrupled monthly 988 calls, and mobile crisis teams now provide 24/7 support with response times of less than an hour.
As mothers, we know the fierce love that drives us to protect our children. As Virginians, we share a responsibility to build a commonwealth that cares — one that offers hope, connection and the right help, right now, for every person in crisis.
• Suzanne S. Youngkin serves as first lady of Virginia alongside her husband, Gov. Glenn Youngkin, the 74th governor of Virginia, and has focused on helping vulnerable Virginians. Betsy Thibaut Stephenson is a communications consultant residing in Alexandria, Virginia.
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