Suicide rate high in state
MINERAL/SANDERS COUNTY – According to statistics provided by Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Suicide Prevention Coordinator Karl Rosston, Montana consistently has one of the highest rates of suicide per capita in the country.
Last week was National Suicide Prevention Week and while resources in Mineral and Sanders County are limited, they do exist and local mental health officials as well as those at the state level want people in need to be aware of them. Sanders County in particular has one of the highest rates of suicide in the state.
Suicide Prevention Resources including trainings and programs that are available include the following:
* QPR- A two hour gatekeeper training that provides anybody the ability to recognize the warning signs, how to intervene, and who to refer the person to.
* ASIST - A two-day workshop designed to provide participants with gatekeeping knowledge and skills. Gatekeepers are taught to recognize the warning signs and to intervene with appropriate assistance.
* SOS: Signs of Suicide - School-based program which combines a curriculum that aims to raise awareness of suicide and reduce stigma of depression. There is also a brief screening for depression and other factors associated with suicidal behavior.
* Parents as Partners – A 9 page booklet that helps parents recognize the symptoms of depression and the warning signs of suicide in their children and how to intervene.
* Crisis Intervention Training - CIT came out of the Memphis Police Dept. and is a training for law enforcement officers to help them manage mental health issues when they respond to a call.
* PAX Good Behavior Game - The PAX Good Behavior Game is an environmental intervention used in the classroom with young children to create an environment that is conducive to learning. The intervention is designed to reduce off-task behavior; increase attentiveness; and decrease aggressive and disruptive behavior and shy and withdrawn behavior. The intervention also aims to improve academic success, as well as mental health and substance use outcomes later in life.
* Mental Health First Aid- Mental Health First Aid is an adult public education program designed to improve participants’ knowledge and modify their attitudes and perceptions about mental health and related issues, including how to respond to individuals who are experiencing one or more acute mental health crises or are in the early stages of one or more chronic mental health problems.
For additional information about these programs or other evidenced-based practices, go to http://www.sprc.org/featured_resources/bpr//ebpp.asp or http://www.nrepp.samhsa.gov/
Additional Suicide Prevention Resources * Montana Suicide Prevention Website at www.prc.mt.gov/suicideprevention
* In the event of an immediate crisis, Call 911, law enforcement, or take the person to the nearest hospital emergency room or clinic.
* Montana Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800-273-TALK (8255)
Provides immediate assistance to individuals and Veterans in suicidal crisis by connecting them to the nearest available suicide prevention and mental health service provider www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
* American Association of Suicidology (202) 237-2280
Call for written material on suicide and suicide prevention or visit www.suicidology.org
* American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (888) 333-AFSP (2377)
For more information on suicide prevention, call toll free or visit www.afsp.org
* National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (800) 950-NAMI (6264)
Call Help Line for local support group and/or additional materials on depression, or visit www.nami.org
* Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) 877-GET-SPRC (438-7772)
Provides prevention support, training, and resources to assist organizations and individuals to develop suicide prevention programs, interventions and policies, and to advance the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. Includes materials for students, parents, school staff, and others. Includes state suicide data on state pages www.sprc.org. * The Trevor Project (www.thetrevorproject.org). Founded in 1998 by the creators of the Academy Award®-winning short film TREVOR, The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24.
Since 1994, there have been 59 reported suicides in Sanders County while there have been 17 reported cases of suicide in Mineral County during the same time period. One can’t always tell when a loved one or friend is considering suicide. But here are some common signs:
* Talking about suicide — for example, making statements such as “I’m going to kill myself,” “I wish I were dead” or “I wish I hadn’t been born”
* Getting the means to commit suicide, such as buying a gun or stockpiling pills
* Withdrawing from social contact and wanting to be left alone
* Having mood swings, such as being emotionally high one day and deeply discouraged the next
* Being preoccupied with death, dying or violence
* Feeling trapped or hopeless about a situation
* Increasing use of alcohol or drugs
* Changing normal routine, including eating or sleeping patterns
* Doing risky or self-destructive things, such as using drugs or driving recklessly
* Giving away belongings or getting affairs in order when there is no other logical explanation for why this is being done
* Saying goodbye to people as if they won’t be seen again
* Developing personality changes or being severely anxious or agitated, particularly when experiencing some of the warning signs listed above
According to information provided by Rosston, if you believe someone is in danger of committing suicide or has made a suicide attempt:
* Don’t leave the person alone.
* Call 911 or your local emergency number right away. Or, if you think you can do so safely, take the person to the nearest hospital emergency room yourself.
* Try to find out if he or she is under the influence of alcohol or drugs or may have taken an overdose.
* Tell a family member or friend right away what’s going on.
If a friend or family member talks or behaves in a way that makes you believe he or she might commit suicide, don’t try to handle the situation without help — get help from a trained professional as quickly as possible. The person may need to be hospitalized until the suicidal crisis has passed.
According to information provided by Rosston, if a friend or loved one is thinking about suicide, he or she needs professional help, even if suicide isn’t an immediate danger. Here’s what you can do.
* Encourage the person to seek treatment. Someone who is suicidal or has severe depression may not have the energy or motivation to find help. If your friend or loved one doesn’t want to consult a doctor or mental health provider, suggest finding help from a support group, crisis center, faith community, teacher or other trusted person. You can help by offering support and advice — but remember that it’s not your job to become a substitute for a mental health provider.
* Offer to help the person take steps to get assistance and support. For example, you can research treatment options, make phone calls and review insurance benefit information, or even offer to go with the person to an appointment.
* Encourage the person to communicate with you. Someone who’s suicidal may be tempted to bottle up feelings because he or she feels ashamed, guilty or embarrassed. Be supportive and understanding, and express your opinions without placing blame. Listen attentively and avoid interrupting.
* Be respectful and acknowledge the person’s feelings. Don’t try to talk the person out of his or her feelings or express shock. Remember, even though someone who’s suicidal isn’t thinking logically, the emotions are real. Not respecting how the person feels can shut down communication.
* Don’t be patronizing or judgmental. For example, don’t tell someone, “things could be worse” or “you have everything to live for.” Instead, ask questions such as, “What’s causing you to feel so bad?” “What would make you feel better?” or “How can I help?”
* Never promise to keep someone’s suicidal feelings a secret. Be understanding, but explain that you may not be able to keep such a promise if you think the person’s life is in danger. At that point, you have to get help.
* Offer reassurance that things will get better. When someone is suicidal, it seems as if nothing will make things better. Reassure the person that these feelings are temporary, and that with appropriate treatment, he or she will feel better about life again.
* Encourage the person to avoid alcohol and drug use. Using drugs or alcohol may seem to ease the painful feelings, but ultimately it makes things worse — it can lead to reckless behavior or feeling more depressed. If the person can’t quit on his or her own, offer to help find treatment.
* Remove potentially dangerous items from the person’s home, if possible. If you can, make sure the person doesn’t have items around that could be used to commit suicide — such as knives, razors, guns or drugs. If the person takes a medication that could be used for overdose, encourage him or her to have someone safeguard it and give it as prescribed.
According to one expert in the study of suicide, the act is a particularly “awful way to die.” Kay Redfield Jamison, Ph.D Professor of Psychiatry at John Hopkins University, said the suffering surrounding the act of suicide is profound.
“Suicide is a particularly awful way to die,” Jamison said. “The mental suffering leading up to it is usually prolonged, intense, and unpalliated. There is no morphine equivalent to ease the acute pain, and death not uncommonly is violent and grisly. The suffering of the suicidal is private and inexpressible, leaving family members, friends, and colleagues to deal with an almost unfathomable kind of loss, as well as guilt. Suicide carries in its aftermath a level of confusion and devastation that is, for the most part, beyond description.”