Why is the suicide rate in the Mountain states of the USA so high?!
Question:
Why is the suicide rate in the Mountain states of the USA so high?
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According to this study, the suicide rate in Mountain states is 16.9 per 100,000 residents, more than double the suicide rate in the Northeast states.
http://www.suicidology.org/associations/...
Does anyone have an explanation, or at least an educated guess?
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Answers:
I can only answer for my own state (Montana) which has one of the highest suicide rates in the country. Out of all the western states, Montana ranks second in suicide rates.
First of all, the economy isn't good here at all and the state is very business unfriendly. The poverty rate is about 14% and the average income is around $39,000 which makes it well below the national average. Because so many people are struggling, sometimes they may turn to alcohol or drugs which increases the risk.
Secondly the mental health system here is terrible. There is only one state hospital and it has 209 beds. Plus I read not long ago that over 10 percent of the state's population of over 900,000 people has a serious mental illness. Many community mental health centers have had to close and the one's that are open aren't operating well because the staff is overworked. Of course all of this has to do with funds. Sadly, mental health takes a back seat when it comes to funding.
Not to mention, a large percentage of people in the state lack any kind of health insurance.
I love living in this state and it's a beautiful place but there is a lot of room for improvement as far as the mental health system, encouraging new businesses and industries, awareness programs for youths and also for Native Americans in the state. There have been some minor improvements but I hope they continue.