Candlelight vigil to raise awareness for mental illness

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, the National Alliance on Mental Illness Southwest Washington plans to hold a candlelight vigil Saturday at the Civic Circle in Longview.

The free event is scheduled for 6-9 p.m., with the vigil itself taking place at 8:30 p.m. when the sun sets. Candles will be provided.

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The National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI, is a national nonprofit that works to raise awareness and support for people affected by mental illness. NAMI Southwest Washington is an affiliated nonprofit serving Cowlitz, Clark, Skamania and Wahkiakum counties.

Stephanie Clark-McNally, the Cowlitz outreach coordinator for NAMI Southwest Washington, wrote that the vigil is intended to honor lives lost to suicide, support those who are currently struggling and help break the stigma around mental health.

Cowlitz County Health and Human Services reported that suicide was the ninth most common cause of death in the county in 2024, and it has ranked in the top 10 since at least 2015.

The state Healthy Youth Survey reported that 14% of Cowlitz County eighth graders surveyed in 2024 said they had made a plan about how they would attempt suicide, and 10% said they made an attempt within the last 12 months.

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