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Addressing High Suicide Rates in the Mountain West

Lucia Garramone

Colorado State University

CO 300: Writing Arguments

Sean Waters

December 5, 2023
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Addressing High Suicide Rates in the Mountain West

Suicide is a prevalent issue in the U.S., but there are some states more affected than

others. In western states, specifically the Mountain West, suicide rates are disproportionately

higher. This is due to significant cultural differences and existing negative attitudes towards

mental illness. With what we know, and if we intend to increase suicide prevention, we must

address the stigma and implement new methods of education.

In the U.S., suicide is the 11th leading cause of death. It is also one of the top leading

causes of death among young adults and adolescents. “Suicide may be one of the leading causes

of death in the United States, but it receives a fraction of research money devoted to thwarting

other killers” (Morton, 2019). Mental illness is a common affliction and more people experience

suicidal thoughts than one may think, “Every year, at least 10 million U.S. adults experience

suicidal thoughts”(Morton, 2019). If we look at the populations most affected, western states

have the highest suicides rates; “The six primary Mountain West states — Idaho, Montana,

Wyoming, Nevada, and Colorado — regularly have some of the highest suicide rates in the

country” (Kauffman, 2023). To understand the stark and crucial differences between suicide rates

in the U.S., we need to consider the culture and environment.

One significant aspect of life in Mountain West states is the isolation. There is a higher

population of people living in rural areas, “many people in the West are scattered in those vast

expanses, isolated from each other and from mental health services” (Morton, 2019). A culture of

isolation can breed a few problems in terms of mental health care. In other countries, culture is

based on community and suicide rates are significantly lower. In the U.S., there is a wide culture

of individualism and the people living in the more isolated, rural areas are often hyper-

independent. In isolation, issues of limited resources and mental health stigma persist.
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The environment alone raises problems in these areas, “A lack of jobs and economic

opportunity may contribute to suicide risk, and these communities are often short on mental

health treatment options” (Siegler, 2018). Mental health resources can be scarce in rural areas.

Having access to mental health services is crucial to many, and sometimes there are no available

resources in a reasonable proximity. Not only that, but the resources that are available face long

wait times, “people seeking help in rural areas often have to wait weeks and drive miles for an

appointment” (Kauffman, 2023). This poses a problem for a person in crisis; they shouldn’t have

to wait or travel far to seek help, mental health services should be accessible to them. However,

the availability of resources is only one part of the problem. Whether or not resources are

available, many people don’t want to seek help, this issue is rooted in stigma.

Stigma is a negative attitude or belief, held by certain populations, regarding a particular

issue. The U.S. faces mental health stigma in a multitude of ways, but the Mountain West may be

experiencing a more specific affliction. A higher number of isolated populations can be a source

of problematic mentalities that could be described as a “culture of pathological self-reliance and

stoicism” (Morton, 2019). Common mentalities referred to as “cowboy mentality” and “rugged

individualism” promote self-reliance and hyper-independence. It’s the idea that relying or

depending on anyone else shows weakness. It highly stigmatizes mental illness and causes

individuals to feel too proud to ask for help, “Mental health stigma may directly produce a sense

of burdensomeness and disconnectedness to one’s support system that can lead to suicidal

ideation and, in some cases, to suicidal intent” (Minot, 2022). This makes stigma a highly

dangerous risk-factor for suicide, “It can cause people to feel isolated and alone, preventing them

from seeking out the help and support they need” (SonderMind, 2023). For this reason, it is

crucial that we attempt to change these stigmas.

These issues affect many people, so it’s important we ask who can make the most change.

Adolescents are at an advantage to make the most change and they also have the greatest reasons

to instill these changes. As mentioned before, suicide is one of the top leading causes of death

among young adults and adolescents. That gives this group a great incentive to take part in

solving these problems. We have also seen this generation display consistent acts of advocacy

and concern for their community. This is the kind of care for our community that we need to

raise awareness for suicide prevention. More specifically, we should not only be targeting

adolescents, but the adolescents within these rural communities who are directly affected by

these issues, “targeting not the vulnerable people themselves, but those around them” (Kauffman,

2023). This highlights the importance of the ability to reach out and support others who are

struggling.

We need to bring the attention of these issues to the adolescents of our community, but

we also need to raise more awareness within the mental health care community itself. Mental

health care workers are crucial in the process of suicide prevention. We cannot only rely on the

support and education of our own community, mental health care workers are capable of making

the most viable changes. However, stigma still exists even within this system, “Healthcare

professionals’ attitudes toward working with suicidal patients are often negative, perhaps due to a

lack of comprehensive training on how to competently address suicidality” (La Guardia, 2022).

This current state of our healthcare makes addressing them a priority.

We can start making a change by breaking the stigma that negatively affects suicide rates.

It’s “…uncertainty [that] often contributes to the stigma around suicide, which can prevent

people from getting the help they need” (SonderMind, 2023). This is why we first need to

educate people on suicide. Learning about mental health can change the way we view these
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issues and how we talk about it to others. It can debunk stigmas rooted in myths and

misconceptions and with a greater understanding of the problem, we have more knowledge in

how to prevent it. Suicide is a difficult topic, so it is also important that we be careful and

thoughtful when discussing it with others; having compassion and avoiding judgment,

“Conversations around suicide should be had in a safe space that’s free of judgment or stigma”

(SonderMind, 2023). Creating a safer environment to have these conversations will make many

more willing to seek help. It will also make more people willing to speak up; speaking up

reduces the shame many fear when discussing mental health and suicide. Through educating,

reducing judgment, and speaking up, we can be better equipped to advocate for and support

those in need.

Education doesn’t guarantee prevention, but it lowers the risk. It is important that we

educate adolescents on prevalent mental health issues and we can do this by instilling programs

in schools. Teaching youth about suicide prevention can lower the risk, it “aims to teach people

how to identify signs that a person may be suicidal, how to talk to that person about their

thoughts and where to turn for help” (Watson, 2022). Bring these programs into schools seems to

be the most viable, “Public schools seem like a logical place to teach when and how to intervene,

since most people attend them at some point…” (Watson, 2022). This may be where we can

reach the most people and learning from a younger age promotes awareness and prevention.

Also, by making more people aware of how to notice the signs and how to help, we can lower

the suicide rates. Adolescents may be more trusting of their peers and education will make their

peers more equipped to help and create a more trusting environment.

It has also been suggested that we create more in-depth training programs for mental

health care workers for suicide prevention education. Due to existing negative attitudes towards
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mental illness, that even affect our healthcare system, suicide prevention training needs to be

more extensive. Current prevention training is limited to risk assessment and isn’t enough to

change current attitudes. Newer programs would be aimed at enhancing knowledge, attitudes,

and skills; it would be more comprehensive, collaborative, interactive, and self-reflective.

“Training consistently demonstrates positive short-term impacts on trainee suicide prevention

knowledge, attitudes, and perceived self-efficacy, and some evidence in objective skill

performance” (La Guardia, 2022). Increasing the overall understanding for helping suicidal

patients is crucial and would involve more community based plans.

Unfortunately, implementing suicide prevention tactics can be difficult, especially in

schools. There’s no denial that something needs to be done, but there are some controversies on

how it should be done. Suicide is a touchy subject and people are afraid to talk about it, but it

needs to be talked about. The reason people are so afraid to discuss it is rooted in myths and false

beliefs about suicide. One myth includes the belief that talking about suicide can influence

individuals to commit suicide. This is profoundly incorrect because the reality is that talking

about suicide creates a safer environment for people to speak up and seek help.

Even with the obstacles we face, difficulty implementing education and limited resources,

we can still play a part in suicide prevention. Though mental health resources are limited, we can

raise awareness of current resources that are available. By raising awareness and creating efforts

to break stigma, we can lower the risk of suicide and create a safer and ore supportive

community.
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References

Kauffman, G. (2023, July 1). Suicide rates on the rise in Idaho, Mountain West. AP News.

https://apnews.com/general-news-17cef7cc426c4dad88261d56764277e5

La Guardia, A. C., Wright-Berryman, J., Cramer, R. J., Kaniuka, A. R., & Tufts, K. A. (2022).

Interprofessional Suicide Prevention Education. Crisis, 43(6), 531–538.

https://doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000813

Morton, C. (2019, September 6). Suicide rates in the Mountain West are sky-high; now

researchers are asking why. oregonlive. https://www.oregonlive.com/news/g66l-

2019/04/0491a89bb5509/suicide-rates-in-the-mountain-west-are-skyhigh-now-research-is-

seeking-answers.html

Minot, D. (2022, July 15). How mental health stigma drives suicide risk. Behavioral Health

News. https://behavioralhealthnews.org/how-mental-health-stigma-drives-suicide-risk/

Siegler, K. (2018, October 23). How One Colorado town is tackling suicide prevention - starting

with the kids. NPR.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/10/23/658834805/how-one-colorado-town-

is-tackling-suicide-prevention-starting-with-the-kids

Let’s talk: 5 ways to break the stigma around suicide. SonderMind. (n.d.).

https://www.sondermind.com/resources/articles-and-content/lets-talk-5-ways-to-break-the-

stigma-around-suicide/
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Watson, T. (2022, February 10). Reluctance to require suicide prevention education could cost

lives. The Hechinger Report. https://hechingerreport.org/reluctance-to-require-suicide-

prevention-education-could-cost-lives-but-its-complicated/
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Self-Assessment

For my essay, I feel that I captured my argument well. I intended to communicate how

crucial it is that we break stigma and be more educated in regards to suicide and suicide

prevention. I made an in-depth explanation of all the exigencies: isolation, cultural stigma, and

limited resources.

I tried to pinpoint who I thought best to be the target audience of this rhetorical argument,

specifically adolescents within the community. But, I thought it would be viable to include

healthcare workers as well, seeing as both could make great changes.

I created mostly in-depth explanations of what these groups of people could do to make a

change; implement education and break stigma. I did not have a counterargument really, but I

highlighted some of the possible constraints. Like the hesitation to implement prevention

methods due to fear and myths.

The one thing I would have liked to improve is finding more information on how to

successfully implement prevention methods. I found a lot of ideas in my research, but I mostly

came across reasons why schools have been unable to move forward with these programs. I

would want to learn more about what we could do to guarantee the implementation of education.