FRIDAY, May 21, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- When Mariel Hemingway speaks out on the issue of suicide, it's because she knows firsthand what it can do to a family.
Her grandfather, Nobel prize-winning novelist Ernest Hemingway, took his own life in July 1961, just months before Mariel was born. The author of The Sun Also Rises and countless other classics lost his own father to suicide, and in later years his brother Leicester and sister Ursula would take their own lives as well.
"There's speculation that my sister Margaux committed suicide," Mariel Hemingway added. Margaux Hemingway, a model and actress, died in 1996 of an overdose of sedatives at age 41.
For Mariel, then, the issue of suicide prevention "is obviously very close to my family and to my heart."
Because of her family's history, Hemingway, 42, has long been an advocate for suicide-prevention efforts, and on Wednesday she emceed a gala dinner in New York City on behalf of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).
The Academy Award-nominated actress (for Manhattan) said she feels blessed she has remained relatively free from depression. "There's a fear of it for me, but it's not an issue for me, luckily," she said. "Still, it's definitely in the genes."
The AFSP "Lifesavers Dinner" is held once each year to honor individuals who've made important contributions to fighting suicide, which kills 30,000 Americans annually and remains the 11th most common cause of death in the United States.
This year's honorees included "Survivor Award" recipient Nancy Johnson, who has worked tirelessly for AFSP ever since she lost her son Chris, 14, to suicide in 1997. Johnson, from Portland, Ore., has played a key role in launching a new AFSP public service announcement focusing on the importance of peer intervention in preventing teen suicide.
Chris kept his depression secret from his parents, Johnson explained, but at the same time "he was telling other kids on the Internet what his intentions were. But those kids didn't know what to do."
The public service announcement, titled Suicide Shouldn't Be a Secret, encourages teens to recognize depression in friends and then urge them to seek help.
"Research has shown that really sick kids won't use an 800 crisis line," Johnson said. "But it's an excellent resource for helpers, for friends. A great one is 1-800-SUICIDE. It's staffed by people who will connect the caller to the nearest accredited suicide crisis center."
Looking back, Johnson now recognizes that her son was isolating himself, and she believes more work needs to be done to raise awareness about the warning signs of depression. Many troubled teens make excuse after excuse to explain why they are spending more time alone, or why their grades are suddenly slipping.
"You just have to turn down the volume of what's being said and look at their behavior," Johnson said.
Hemingway agreed, pointing out that depressed individuals often feel unable to act on their own.
"It's very hard," she said, "because when you're depressed you're in a hole. You're in a dark place where even looking for help is the last thing you can conceive of. So for those that love you, it's an act of intervention."
Hemingway said she's given up acting and now centers her life around healthy, holistic living that she believes serves as a natural defense against depression. And she has tried to pass on what she's learned to her two teenage daughters.
"With my own daughters I say, 'Look, these are the facts, this is the family you come from. You can choose a healthier lifestyle or not, but these are the issues you're up against.' "
Blunt words about depression and suicide can be a real lifesaver, Johnson said. If teens know a friend is in trouble, keeping it secret is about the worst thing they can do.
"Kids talk to one another, and sometimes they'll try and swear the other kids to secrecy," Johnson said. Telling someone -- a parent, a teacher, a friend -- could make all the difference. "You need to take that chance, because you could be saving a friend's life."
More information
Visit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to view the public service announcement Suicide Shouldn't Be a Secret, and to learn more about preventing teen suicide. For more information on depression, visit the National Institute of Mental Health.
