Crisis Center of Tampa Bay helps install signs on Sunshine Skyway: 'Reach out for help'

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay hopes signs it helped install on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge are a lifeline.

"If you are struggling, the hardest portion of the journey is just reaching out to ask for help," said Clara Reynolds, the president and CEO of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.

The signs include messages like, "You are alive for a reason – don’t give up," and "There is hope. Make the call." The Center worked with the Florida Department of Transportation to also install six phones that call the Center and an officer, and netting on the bridge.

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FDOT also installed technology that detects stopped vehicles and pedestrians on the bridge to reduce response times when motorists park on the bridge. 

"While the netting has done a lot to prevent suicides there, that doesn't necessarily mean that people are less suicidal. So, we have to continue with the message of how important it is to reach out for help when you need it, and if you're a family member or loved one, friend, reach out to somebody you think might be struggling," Reynolds said.

Since the netting was installed in the summer of 2021, suicides and attempted suicides on the Skyway have decreased, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. In 2019, there were 12 suicides and 15 attempted suicides. In 2020, there were seven suicides and nine attempted suicides. 

In 2022 after the netting was installed, there were two suicides and five attempted suicides. In 2023, there has been one suicide and three attempted suicides. 

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Deputies with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said a man died by suicide Tuesday. Witnesses told deputies they saw a man jump from the bridge, and marine units with HCSO and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office responded and found him.

According to a report from the CDC, 49,449 people died by suicide in 2022. That’s about 14.3 per 100,000 people, the highest since 1941, the report said. It’s also a three percent increase from 2021.

"Obviously, none of us want to see an increase, but three percent isn’t necessarily a surprise," Reynolds said. "What was surprising was to see the reduction in the under 24 and the increase in the 65 and over, and I would imagine that the under 24 I think we as a society and that demographic is doing a much better job of asking for help when they need it."

Reynolds said messaging, specifically on social media, around 988, the new crisis and suicide hotline, has been extremely beneficial for the younger generation. Among the older population, however, she said there’s still a stigma about mental health.

"We need to do a better job of messaging to that demographic," she said. "I think we have a ways to go in focusing on these older generations who are experiencing tremendous issues right now, issues related to economics, just the sense of loss, those kinds of things that certainly can take their toll in that age group," Reynolds said. 

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The holidays can be especially difficult for some people. Calls to the center skyrocketed the day after Thanksgiving, Reynolds said. She said it’s important to reach out to those who may seem like they’re struggling.

"The holiday season, we oftentimes think of being such a happy and joyful time, but for many individuals, it is a time of despair, truly, because individuals may not have family, whether it’s family they were born into or a family friend group that they can reach out to," Reynolds said.

"If you're a family member or friend, and you've got that niggle in your belly that something isn't right, listen to it. Reach out. Ask somebody, ‘How are you doing? Are you feeling suicidal?’ It's a myth that if you bring up the word suicide it's going to plant some sort of idea in their head. That's absolutely not the case," she said. "What we know, what science has told us is that when somebody is suicidal, they oftentimes feel very alone and that nobody sees them. So, when you recognize that somebody is struggling, and you give them that opportunity, it can oftentimes be the lifeline that they truly need in that moment in time."

She said spending time with someone, especially during the holidays, can also make a big difference.

"If a person has something to look forward to, that’s going to go a long way in helping to alleviate the sense of loneliness," Reynolds said.

According to the CDC, men 75 and older had the highest suicide rate in 2022, about 44 deaths per 100,000 people. Men were also four times more likely to die by suicide in 2022 than women, the report said. 

If you or someone you know is struggling, you can call 988 24/7. You can also call 211 to reach the Crisis Center directly.