10/09/2026
One conversation can make a difference.
Every day, an average of 17.7 U.S. veterans die by su***de. In Hawaiʻi, 18 veterans died by su***de in 2024.
Those numbers remind us why conversations about mental health and su***de prevention matter.
During Su***de Prevention Month, Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi’s Service Members, Veterans, and their Families (SMVF) program hosted “1 Degree of Separation: A Comedy Show on Depression, Su***de and Hope.” The event was co-sponsored by Governor Josh Green’s Hawaiʻi Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Su***de Among Service Members, Veterans and their Families.
The evening combined laughter, personal stories and honest conversations about mental health. Four comedians shared their experiences while demonstrating five questions that can help open a conversation:
💬 What does depression look like?
💬 What do others do that makes it worse?
💬 What do you do that makes it worse?
💬 What do others do that makes it better?
💬 What do you do that makes things better?
Just two days later, one attendee had two young women come into her office feeling sad and depressed. With those five questions still fresh in her mind, she was able to open a conversation with them.
By the end, everyone was laughing, and the young women left feeling much better.
That is what su***de prevention can look like. Not always having all the answers, but being willing to listen, ask a question and stay connected.
Su***de Prevention Month may be over, but the conversation should continue.
Sometimes, one conversation can make a difference.
