It is not necessary to have known Richard Jeni or to have been acquainted with his work in order to mourn his untimely demise. This past weekend, the 49-year-old comedian died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His family has acknowledged that the death was a suicide, releasing the following statement (excerpted):

Often times, when we are faced with a sudden and tragic loss, there is a natural curiosity –- a need to know what exactly happened.

The family of Richard Jeni would like to put to rest any assumptions as to the cause of Richard’s death. Despite the fact that the coroner’s office has publicly stated that a suicide ruling will take two weeks, pending the results of an autopsy, Richard Jeni did take his own life….

The truth is: earlier this year Richard Jeni was diagnosed with severe clinical depression coupled with bouts of psychotic paranoia. One only needs to have a family member or friend with a mental illness to understand that there is nothing rational, predictable, or fair about these diseases. Mental illness is as serious as any physical affliction and can be just as devastating.

He was not down or blue, he was ill. If you knew Richard, you could understand, this was as much a shock to those close to him, as it is to his fans and colleagues. Perhaps Richard’s passing will encourage people to have sympathy, compassion and understanding for those who are afflicted with mental illness. As we are all trying to make sense of this, take time to remember the joy and laughter Richard brought to the countless people he touched during his much too short life. [link]

To his family and friends, Richard Jeni was no doubt one in a million. But, statistically, he was one of more than 30,000 Americans who annually take their own lives. On average, there are 89 suicides each day in this country, which makes suicide the 11th leading cause of death and a major public health issue. Furthermore, every such death leaves great anguish and confusion in its wake. According to the American Association of Suicidology, “conservative estimates indicate that there are six survivors for every completed suicide. Based on data from 1980 to 2004, we can estimate that the number of survivors in the U.S. is approximately 4.5 million.” In short, the family and friends of Richard Jeni are not alone. Such grief has myriad kin.

For more information on the topic of suicide, please visit the website of the American Association of Suicidology or the National Institute of Mental Health. And to view a snippet of the comic work of Richard Jeni, please check out this video clip (and others) on YouTube.