Raising Suicide Awareness A Goal For September; Community Walk Planned In OC

BERLIN – Suicide rates among youth in Worcester and Wicomico counties are higher than the state average, according to recent numbers from the state and local health departments.

Suicide rates were 16 percent higher in Worcester County from 2012 to 2014 and 33 percent higher in Wicomico County, compared to Maryland’s average suicide rate.

These statistics come with the start of World Suicide Prevention Month, a campaign that spreads mental health awareness each September.

A culmination of factors, including school transition and upcoming holidays, leads to more suicides during this time of year, according to Ronald Pilling, secretary and treasurer for The Jesse Klump Memorial Fund.

Pilling says rural counties, like Worcester and Wicomico, are not immune to suicide.

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