‘Pittsburgh Out of the Darkness Walk’ sheds light on suicide prevention, healing

PITTSBURGH — WPXI is committed to breaking the stigma and talking about mental health issues in our community.

The “Pittsburgh Out of the Darkness Walk” brings people together, to support each other and remember loved ones whom they’ve lost, and to heal from the pain of suicide.

Almost 2,500 people took part in the 2.5-mile walk to raise money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to continue its mission of saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide.

“So we come together and support each other and let people know they’re not alone in their experience and we wanna teach people that mental health is as important as physical health and we need to talk about those things,” Area Director of the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Jesse Putkoski said.

According to the International Association for Suicide Prevention, 800,000 people die from suicide each year worldwide.

It’s the leading cause of death among 15- to 29-year-olds.

IASP also says people more vulnerable to suicide have mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression.

That’s why annual walks like this are so important.

“We become a family you know, we all share the same loss and so we really feel for each other and know which each other has been through,” volunteer Nadine Engel said.

Help is available if you need it.

You can call 988 to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

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