The Jed Foundation

In recent days, Naomi Campbell, Lady Gaga and Sarah Jessica Parker have all paid tribute to the sartorial genius of Alexander McQueen, whose spectacular career creating sexy and dramatic designs ended when he was found hanged in his London home on Feb. 11. Among fashionistas, celebrities and even British royalty, there has been an outpouring of grief, condolences and memorial tributes in the form of tweets, blogposts, released statements and YouTube video clips to a man who transformed himself from a high school dropout into an international style trendsetter. And as London Fashion Week gets underway, the expressions of heartache, remembrance and loss continue.

But, according to those whose mission it is to prevent suicide, there is much to be learned from the circumstances of his death, which may help stop others from ending their own lives. In the majority of cases, those who end their lives have an existing – and treatable – mental health issue such as depression, bipolar disorder, or anxiety disorder, coupled with some triggering traumatic life event.

Courtney Knowles, executive director of the Jed Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing suicide, especially among college students, says, "It’s important to remember that 90 percent of people who die by suicide had a diagnosable mental illness at their time of their death. So suicide is rarely the result of just a life crisis – whether that be a death in the family or a break-up – it is most often the combination of a mental health problem like depression and a traumatic event.  If the media reports suicide as something that only happens to people in extreme circumstances, then we miss an opportunity to discuss how addressing mental health issues can prevent suicide."

As Knowles points out, "A lot of us get dumped or have a death in family and don’t try to end our lives — but for people dealing with a mental health issue, the chances increase."

In McQueen's case, he had suffered several distressing events in the weeks before he killed himself. His mother Joyce had died on Feb. 2, and the next day the designer tweeted: "i'm letting my followers know the my mother passed away yesterday if it she had not me nor would you RIP mumx." He was reportedly so distraught over her death that he locked himself in his room, refusing to get out of bed. Her funeral took place, as planned, the day after his body was found by his cleaner.

Not only had McQueen been rocked by his mother's death, he had reportedly just experienced a break-up as well. According to the New York Post, the style icon had told a reporter at Harper's Bazaar Australia in the weeks before his death that he was upset about being jilted by his lover, whose name, he said, was tattooed on his arm.

Watching for Signs

Other risk factors for suicide are alcohol and drug use, Knowles says, and, according to The New York Times, McQueen made no secret of his hard-partying ways. "Drugs and alcohol lower your inhibitions which makes you more impulsive. If you're thinking about suicide in a more casual way, drinking or using drugs can quickly turn things more serious," says Knowles. "And just because it’s a drug you can get at a drugstore, doesn’t mean they can all be mixed together."

There is also a higher prevalence for suicide among those who have known someone who has died by suicide, according to Knowles. In McQueen's case, his muse and mentor Isabella Snow killed herself just days before London Fashion Week in 2007.  She had been previously diagnosed with bipolar disorder and had already attempted suicide before she learned she had ovarian cancer and ended her life by drinking weedkiller.

Knowles also says studies have shown that thoughts of suicide are reported more often among young gays, lesbians, trangendered and bisexuals than reported in the general population. McQueen was openly gay and had married George Forsyth in a ceremony in 2000, at which Kate Moss was a bridesmaid, however, the union was short-lived and ended a year later.

Just as one would treat a physical condition, the important lesson here is to actively treat mental health issues with appropriate medication, talk therapy, and/or healthy lifestyle changes, says Knowles. Mental health issues are treatable and suicide is preventable, he says, but require a commitment. Knowles encourages people to be aware of the warning signs of suicidal thought, such as changes in eating, sleeping or social patterns, talk of suicide, a plan to kill oneself, increased drug or alcohol use or signs of depression or extreme sadness. With that awareness in hand, he adds, it is possible to effectively get help for themselves, or for someone they love.

A First-Hand Account

Since her breakout role at age 11 in Welcome to the Dollhouse, actress Heather Matarazzo (The Princess Diaries, Getting to Know You) tells Tonic she had spent a lifetime never "feeling comfortable in my own skin," and many times considered suicide before she hit rock bottom and a "moment of grace" that led her to help, therapy and ultimately, health.

Her ability to play various roles had given her a successful acting career, she says — and, for awhile, that very same gift provided a coping mechanism to avoid her problems. In the end, though, it robbed her of her own authenticity.

About seven years ago, she was at a wrap party for a film she'd just completed when she came face to face with her own despair. "I remember just coming out of the bathroom stall and looking at myself in the mirror and not recognizing who I saw," says Matarazzo. "It was essentially a lifetime of a million-and-one masks and always, 'Which mask do you want me to put on today, because whoever you want me to be, I will be,'" she says.

"Luckily, I had some people in my life who identified with what I was going through and helped me. The biggest thing for me was I started to get honest and recognized how incredibly self-centered and selfish I'd been," says Matarazzo. "I started writing a gratitude list. I went to therapy. The biggest way to get out of 'self' is being of service to others, and that's the way I find the most joy."

Help Is Readily Available

Both Matarazzo, who has volunteered for the Jed Foundation for the last two years, and Knowles agree that help is out there.

"We’re trying to focus on the first stages of depression or anxiety disorder in hopes that [those who suffer] can get the right help and make the right lifestyle changes so they don’t get to that point where they’re feeling distressed and thinking about ending their life with suicide," says Knowles. "The more people who are aware of the real dangers of emotional distress and suicide, the more likely it is that those who are struggling will get the support or help they need before it’s too late."

With London Fashion Week in full swing, Knowles says, "I believe the best way to pay tribute to beloved people like Alexander McQueen, who die by suicide, is to take a few minutes and visit a website like www.halfofus.com or www.jedfoundation.org and learn the warning signs. and what we can all do to prevent suicide.  If there is any good that can come out of unspeakable tragedies like this, it’s using the media spotlight to educate and empower people across the country — so other lives can be saved."