Iowans whose lives have been affected by the suicide of a loved one can hear from experts at a free conference today in Iowa City as part of National Survivors of Suicide Day. One of the speakers is Jeremy Brigham, coordinator of Iowa’s Suicide Prevention Strategy Steering committee for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Brigham says he’ll be discussing what various suicide prevention efforts are underway in Iowa. He says people often feel isolated when they’ve lost a loved one to suicide and the conference is a way to help and heal each other. Brigham says there are about 300 suicides a year in Iowa, while statistics find a suicide takes place in the U.S. every 18 minutes, affecting thousands of family members, friends and co-workers. Brigham, a research associate for the group Iowans for the Prevention of Gun Violence, says when a person commits suicide, it has long-lasting ripple effects.The conference runs from 8 AM to 4 P.M. with a satellite-linked national teleconference from 11 AM until 12:45 P.M. It’ll be held in the Illinois Room of the Iowa Memorial Union at the University of Iowa. Other conferences are being held across the U.S. today. For details, surf to “www.afsp.org”.
