Puerto Rico’s Mental Health and Anti-Addiction Services Administration (ASSMCA) received 866 suicide-related calls in October, out of 20,522 calls overall that month, La Fortaleza Public Affairs Secretary Jean Peña Payano said on Tuesday. He spoke at the press conference En Récord while addressing recent incidents of violence and suicide deaths in Puerto Rico. Peña Payano said the events call for support for affected people and families, and urged anyone facing emotional difficulties to seek professional guidance.
"Families are affected, communities, businesses," he said, adding that the call will always be to seek help. He noted that some men still tend to keep emotional problems to themselves, so prevention messages and access to services need reinforcing. Victoria Rodríguez Rodríguez, an ASSMCA program coordinator, said the agency runs community initiatives to identify warning signs, reduce mental health stigma and connect people with specialized treatment.
She said the PAS Line, reachable by dialing 988, channels requests for help and refers people to ASSMCA programs. Services also include community visits, educational interventions and referrals for socio-emotional support. Asked about gender violence, she said prevention should not emphasize one gender over another and that educating the population falls on everyone, starting in communities and schools.
ASSMCA also works with nonprofits to widen access to counseling and treatment. The PAS Line is also at 1-800-981-0023, free, confidential and open 24 hours a day.