Suicide prevention awareness still top priority for base leadership Published July 31, 2009 By Wayne Crenshaw 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Sometimes a misconception can be a good thing. That's the way Maj. Colin Burchfield, director of psychological health at Robins, feels about the perception that suicides are more common during the holiday season. While seasonal affective disorder, also known as the holiday blues, can occur in the northern regions, there is no evidence to support that suicides are more common in the winter months, he said. But Major Burchfield doesn't particularly mind if people want to believe that. "There has never been a higher suicide risk during the holidays, but saying that there is gets people to do exactly what we are trying to do in the You Matter campaign, which is reach out to people who may be at risk," the major said. The You Matter campaign was developed after eight suicides were recorded among Team Robins members in 2008. That's four times the national average. All except one of those were civilians. Seven months into this year, there is reason to think the campaign is working. The base has had only one suicide this year, which would put it on pace to be at or below the national average. Also, Major Burchfield said, across Air Force Materiel Command, the suicide rate is continuing the trend in the wrong direction, so Robins is doing well to see a reduction. While Major Burchfield is encouraged that the campaign appears to be having an impact, he is not ready to declare victory. That's because starting in August of last year, the base had one suicide every month through the rest of the year. In other words, five of the eight suicides in 2008 happened from August to December. Major Burchfield said it would only be speculation to say why it happened that way. However, the most common factor discovered in the suicides was relationship issues at home. The message there, he said, is that if people are having poor relationships at home, it's even more important to have positive relationships at work. "When you are working and are away from home as many hours as we are here, relationships at work are of primary importance," he said. "The people who see those people on an everyday basis, who know what they look like on a good day and know what they look like on a bad day, it's important to be a friend on the good days and then reach out on the bad days." For those who may not be sure what to say to people having problems, Major Burchfield has a simple suggestion. All they have to do is go find one of the hundreds of You Matter flyers posted around base, including in every restroom stall, and direct the person to one of the many helping agencies listed on the flyer. Or, he added, if they really want to be a good friend, they can walk the person over to the Mental Health Clinic. "There are wonderful and various resources that are available on this base that can help people get through," he said.