Monday, January 30, 2012
mental health Study Ranks Idaho Suicide Rate Fourth in Nation
Posted by George Prentice on Mon, Jan 30, 2012 at 9:08 AM
In a troubling report out today, Idaho is ranked fourth in the nation when measuring suicide rates in 2009.
The study from the American Association of Suicidology said Idaho's 2009 suicide rate of 19.7 per 100,000 population was far higher than the national average rate of 12.0. Only Montana, Alaska and Wyoming were ahead of Idaho. Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon, Arizona and Utah rounded out the Top 10.
"The ranking is higher than we've experienced," said Kathie Garrett, chairperson of the Idaho Council on Suicide Prevention, pointing to a 2008 study that ranked Idaho as sixth in the nation.
The council, along with the Suicide Prevention Action Network, Veterans' Services Administration, Idaho State University and the Idaho National Guard have been working to re-establish a suicide prevention hot line for Idaho, which was closed in 2006 after loss of funding.
"Our goal is to raise at least two years' worth of funding so we can be assured that a hot line would not be opened one year and closed the next," said Garrett. "We want to be sure that when Idahoans call the hot line, the telephone is answered."
Comments (3)
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I find it odd that suicide rates are higher in the rocky mountain corridor than in the rest of the nation. Frankly, since moving out to this part of the country, I've never been happier. I wonder what the link is?
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http://www.postsecret.com/
http://suicideprevention.wikia.com/wiki/International_Suicide_Prevention_Directory
The rates are higher in rural areas and the west has a predominance of rural areas. Isolation (perceptional as well as real) is a mitigating factor one that social community awareness can break so that a person stops suicide thinking and efforts. Not to be the sole issue as mental health and processing issues are part of the paradigm. SPAN has information and free resourcing to learn QPR so you understand not only what we know about suicide and limiting risk as well as having training to identify someone in trouble, engage in an appropriate way to refer for help and be watchful. We know more now than ever before but the political channels are not working with those in the field to make sure crisis is managed as well as prevention. We the survivors need the community support for the powers that be to take this seriously.
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