A high state suicide rate marked by six suicides last month on Kauai, including three teens in Anahola, drew large crowds at two meetings to address the alarming trend.

David Rudd, an expert on suicide issues, emphasized the importance of promoting “;hope and resiliency”; to reduce suicide risks in an address to more than 300 people Friday at the Pacific Beach Hotel.

“;Most motivations for death are not about the desire to die—they're about the desire to end suffering,”; he said. “;It's vital to help people understand that.”;

“;Hope, Help & Healing: Tools for Suicide Prevention & Intervention”; was the theme of the conference, sponsored by the state Department of Health with community partners.

  A forum was held Tuesday night in Anahola to “;bring meaning to life”; out of the tragedy of the six suicides, said Gina Kaulukukui, a first responder with Life's Bridges Hawaii. She said the suicides of the three teenagers in one community “;made us stand up and pay attention to the sense of hopelessness and powerlessness.”; The adult cases, ranging from the 30s to 50s in age, were in other parts of the island, she said.

“;If we truly want to have a suicide-free community, it has to be across the board. What we're finding is suicide has no age limit,”; she said, adding she has been involved with completed suicides from 9 years old to 85.

Rudd, chairman of the Psychology Department at Texas Tech University, cited the Kevin Hines case as an example of simple things people can do to reduce despair and suicide risk.

Hines, one of seven survivors of suicide jumps off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, explained after the incident in September 2000 that he had decided if one person going by on the bridge asked if he needed help, he would not kill himself.

By Hines' own account in the San Francisco Chronicle, a woman stopped and asked if he would take her picture. After taking about five pictures of her, she walked away, ignoring his tears. The 19-year-old thought nobody cared and jumped. But as he plummeted toward the water, he said he thought, “;I don't want to die. What am I going to do?”;

  “;Suicidality”; is an umbrella term that covers suicides, attempted suicides, thoughts of suicide and related symptoms such as depression.

“;Understanding and responding to suicidality is about understanding suicide risk,”; Rudd said, stressing that “;human contact and caring generate hope,”; which can make a difference whether someone wants to live or die.

Rudd, past president of the American Association of Suicidality, noted the high suicide and suicide attempt rates among veterans being sent again and again to Iraqi and Afghan combat zones. Yet in World War II Nazi death camps, people facing their own death did not contemplate suicide, he said. “;This is an example of resilience and hope.”;

  Kaulukukui, a grief counselor and survivor of a loved one's suicide, attended Friday's meeting in Honolulu and a “;Healing After Suicide Conference”; Saturday at Kapiolani Community College. “;Survivors braved the rain”; and did a ceremonial walk from the White Chapel to KCC at 7:30 a.m., she said.

She said the three teen suicides in Anahola were unrelated, although they knew each other. Two were 18 and one, 19. Kaulukukui organized the Anahola forum with community groups and Police Chief Darryl Perry. About 200 to 300 residents attended the meeting, including family members of the teen victims, she said. They had not seen any signs of the potential suicides, she said.

Like Rudd, Kaulukukui emphasized the importance of assessing risks for suicide: “;We need to take responsibility so people can recognize signs, and we need to educate ourselves so we know how to access resources.

“;Not only do we have to look at ways to recognize teenagers who may be at risk, but we need to be in tune with one another, to trust our gut feelings,”; she said. “;If we know a friend, parent or kupuna is out of sorts, we need to reach out to them and access resources. It's about saving lives.

“;We're afraid to say the word (suicide) because we think if we say the word, if we talk about suicide, it will make someone do it,”; which is not the case, she said.

  Rudd said a study monitoring about 50 qualified suicide hot lines across the country produced the surprising finding that about half of them never asked the caller about suicide. This illustrates how difficult it is to discuss the issue, he said. “;It is a critically important thing for us to address.”;

Hawaii's suicide rate is 10 percent lower than the national average, but suicide is the leading cause of injury-related death in the Islands, with one suicide every three days, said Dan Galanis, epidemiologist with the DOH's Injury Prevention Branch. He said an average of 850 nonfatal suicide attempts are treated each year in the emergency departments and hospitals.

Schools Superintendent Pat Hamamoto said the schools have had “;cases and incidents”; and that they touch everyone in the school community.

The schools try to give students the tools to be resilient and to support one other, she said. “;It's a personal experience, but I believe passionately we're all in this together.”;