September and National Suicide Prevention Month are coming to a close. Suicide Prevention Coordinator Jim Judkins with the Knoxville VA says that isolation is one of the signs of someone at risk of committing suicide, which can cause confusion in the age of social distancing.

“That’s why we at the VA are reaching out to our higher at risk people to know if they’re withdrawing. And withdrawing in the era of COVID is a little bit different of course. Maybe you don’t talk to people on the phone or video chatting as much. But there are some people who aren’t getting out in the era of COVID. Maybe they’re not doing that in response to COVID, they’re just doing it because they feel hopeless. It’s worth asking. But that is a harder one to identify in today’s world.”

Family members are encouraged to check in on loved ones in isolation who may be at risk. Help is available at the National Suicide Prevention Hotline or the Knoxville VA.