Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran’s decision to speak openly about a 2022 suicide attempt is inspiring others to seek help, according to a Massachusetts group running mental health hotlines.
Duran said in the Netflix documentary series “The Clubhouse” released this week that the pressures of playing for the Red Sox had led him to bouts of depression and a suicide attempt.
“When someone shares their story, they empower others to reach out for help,” said Kathy Marchi, president and CEO of the nonprofit group Samaritans, which is among the organizations in Massachusetts answering calls to the 988 suicide prevention hotline. Samaritans also runs its own phone hotline and a peer-to-peer texting service for young people called “Hey Sam.”
“This is a story of an event that occurred a couple of years ago. And so being able to look at him and think, ‘Oh, well, if he was able to journey through that and he’s doing what he is, there’s hope for me, too,’” Marchi said.
The group was already seeing callers reach out in recent weeks, stressed about the current national climate, and they’re hoping for more dollars from the state to meet demand. After sports TV and radio shows shared Samaritans’ information on Monday while talking about Duran, the number of texts to “Hey Sam” spiked — matching the highest single-day total in the program’s history, Marchi said. Their phone hotline saw twice as many calls as the previous Monday, too.
That kind of impact was what Duran had hoped for, according to a written statement released the same day as the docuseries.
“Talking about this wasn’t easy, but it felt important,” Duran wrote. “A few years ago, I found myself in a dark place, but I’m still here, and I’m so lucky I am. And if my story can help even one person, then it was worth telling. It’s that ability to help, to reach those who feel alone, that motivated me to tell my story.”
Duran said his focus is now on baseball, and he said he’s grateful for the “tremendous support” he’s received.
“If you’re struggling, please know there’s help,” Duran wrote. “You can call a friend, a trusted person, your doctor, or an organization like Samaritans. And, if you’re in immediate danger, call 988.”
The attention that Duran has brought to the issue comes at an uncertain time in the nation, when an especially high number of people are under stress, Marchi said.
“In the last few weeks, we’ve been seeing an uptick and people are increasingly concerned about the world that we’re living in,” Marchi said.
Some callers have expressed worries about losing jobs or access to health care, Marchi said. And some callers don‘t have loved ones who share the perspective on the state of the country.
“The stress level is high for people right now, and that all leads people to increasing levels of upset, of needing to find support,” she said. “Sometimes people differ from their families or the people they live with, so they look for support somewhere else. So if you have a difference of opinion about what’s happening right now, you might look to 988 or ‘Hey Sam’ to find support in a way that you’re not getting in those more personal settings.”
Samaritans held a briefing for state legislators Wednesday, asking for a $200,000 boost in state funding and citing an overall increase in demand for their mental health services.
That increase is supported by state Sen. Becca Rausch, a Democrat from Needham.
“Samaritans’ work is working,” Rausch said. “And so I wholeheartedly believe in continuing state support for their very good, very necessary work.”
Samaritans launched its “Hey Sam” text support program in 2022 after the need was made clear by young people in a Zoom “town meeting” hosted by Rausch’s office.
“And in every subsequent fiscal year, because ‘Hey Sam’ has been such a marvelous success, we’ve been fully funding that work with a million dollars in state funds every year,” Rausch said.
Samaritans currently receives $1.8 million from the state, and is hoping to raise that to $2 million for the coming fiscal year that starts this summer.
“It certainly wasn’t surprising to me to hear that there was additional need even beyond what they’re currently able to provide for folks,” Rausch said. “So the comparatively small ... request for the increase is to be able to provide and expand more services for people.”
It’s uncertain whether that increase will be approved, Rausch conceded.
“Our budget experts and budget leaders in both chambers and in the administration have been really clear the whole time that this is going to be a very tough budget year,” Rausch said. “And so I come in with hope and with dedication, and we’ll have to see how things progress in the next eight weeks or so.”
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or use the Crisis Text Line by texting “Home” to 741741. More resources are available at SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
