Suicide rates surge in rural Georgia, continue to climb in minority communities

ATLANTA - Just a few weeks into the New Year and there have been several reports of well-known people taking their own lives.

Unfortunately, recent research says it continues to be a problem in certain communities including right here in Georgia.

FOX 5 spoke with the wife of a man who committed suicide about the resources and services available for you and your loved ones. 

Dr. Lena Clark said her husband suffered in silence, and it took her about five or six years to accept losing him unexpectedly by suicide in 2008. A few years later, she started an organization that provides 24-hours assistance to help anyone struggling with their mental health.

"We are their right-hand person. They can call us at any time," Clark says.

In 2015, Dr. Cark turned her pain into purpose, creating Miracle Mind Global Network. 

Clark has a PhD in mental health.

"You're leaving behind loved ones. You're leaving behind children. You're leaving behind parents. And they don't realize the pain that you leave that person in," she says. 

Former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst, actress Regina King's son Ian Alexander Jr., and locally, MARTA CEO Jeffrey Parker, all took their own lives in recent weeks. 

Clark described some signs to look out for. 

"Mood swings, behavior changes, isolation, and you will see those changes if there's a problem with a person. Bouts of anger," she details. 

According to the CDC and other reports, suicides were down overall in the U.S. in 2019 and 2020.

However, this report notes that in Black and Asian communities, suicides rates continued to climb.

"Especially in the minority communities, the African American communities, there's no resource. They don't have money to go and see a psychiatrist or a psychologist. So what they do, they just lock up," Clark describes. 

Here at home, from 2019 to 2020, suicides in rural parts of Georgia increased by more than 8 percent.

That's according to a recent presentation by the Department of Behavioral Health.

"It is because of, again, the COVID of course. The cost of living has gone to a higher rate. It's a lot. A lot of people are losing their jobs so they go into a state of depression, and they feel this is the only way out," Clark details.

If you or a loved one may be at risk of suicide, here are resources that can help.

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: The crisis center provides free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to civilians and veterans. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Or text to 741-741. Or you can chat with a counselor via Instant Message by clicking here. For crisis support in Spanish, call 1-888-628-9454.
• Trevor Lifeline: Call 1-866-488-7386 for the TrevorLifeline, a suicide prevention counseling service for the LGBTQ community. Trained counselors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also speak with someone over text message or instant message.
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 to text confidentially with a trained crisis counselor. Counselors are available 24/7.

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