Two women died Monday in a Eustis house fire. Investigators have reason to believe the deaths were a suicide.

A state trooper had visited the home earlier that day after police received a call from a relative of one of the women saying she had received what amounted to a suicide note.

He left after the women told him that the note had been sent by mistake.

Predicting what has already happened is easy work, but a suicide note from a 52-year-old woman sent to a relative deserves more attention than just a visit by police.

We don’t expect state troopers to have the skill set necessary to walk into someone’s home and determine if that person is on the brink of suicide. A visit by a mental health professional, however, would be in order, even if, as in this case, the people say they don’t want it.

We expect police to make tough decisions during volatile situations. We expect them to follow the law and to help people when they can. We don’t expect them to be mental health professionals, but they should be able to identify when one’s needed.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, suicide rates increase with age. Older adults who are suicidal are more likely to be suffering from physical illnesses and to be divorced or widowed. The CDC says that the first step in preventing suicide is to identify and understand risk factors, which include a physical and mental assessment, and recognizing possible barriers to receiving mental health treatment.

Most often, suicide is related to a mental disorder or substance abuse. People who consider taking their own lives likely see no other solutions to their problems or feel hopeless.

According to the 1999 Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Suicide, “Suicide attempts are expressions of extreme distress that need to be addressed, and not just a harmless bid for attention. A suicidal person should not be left alone and needs immediate mental health treatment.”

Police are still investigating what happened in Eustis. It’s possible the two deaths were accidental, and the suicide note and visit from the police were coincidental. Still, when a person says he or she is considering suicide, that threat must be taken seriously.