Suicide Prevention

Idaho's already high suicide rates could worsen as the COVID-19 crisis stretches into the winter months, and state officials are relying on technology for some outreach efforts.  

September is Suicide Awareness Month. At the USU Extension Office in Cache County, Alisha Straatman and Tom Keady are two individuals working to provide suicide prevention resources to people throughout Utah. 

While most Utahns seem to have weathered the coronavirus pandemic with less illness and death than has been seen elsewhere, they have not been unaffected by the crisis. Public health officials say the stress and uncertainty of living under a stay-at-home order has caused an increase in anxiety and depression. In response, Utah officials and private groups have launched the Live On campaign: a 3-year drive to promote education, provide resources and change the culture around suicide and mental health. Taryn Hiatt, Utah director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, said those who are struggling need to know where to find help.

In Utah, suicide is the leading cause of death for youth ages 10 to 24, according to a 2019 report out of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute and the Utah Hospital Association. But communities and individuals are finding ways to support each other and prevent more loss. One example is the group Brigham Suicide Prevention in Brigham City, where they are building resilience in individuals and the community.

Republican Speaker of the House Brad Wilson named reducing Utah’s suicide rate as one of his top priorities for the year in his opening session remarks earlier this week. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, but the eighth in Utah. 

To help reduce the number of suicide deaths in Utah, new features are being added to the SafeUT app. The app allows users to talk with a crisis counselor or submit a tip if they have a safety concern about their school.

About 123 people die of suicide every day in the U.S. It’s the 10th-leading cause of death for Americans and the No. 2 killer of teens.  According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some 45,000 Americans died by suicide in 2016 and the vast majority of states saw increases in the rates of suicide between 1999 and 2016. Suicide is the leading cause of death in Utah for youths ages 10 to 17. The state’s suicide rate for all ages is more than 60 percent above the national average. Recent celebrity deaths have also shone a spotlight on the problem.

“One of the things we wanted to do was really help clarify what is the role of faith leaders?" said Kimberly Myers, the state suicide prevention coordinator. "What are the resources that faith leaders can use when the problem is beyond their scope? And then, what are some core considerations for when there is a death in their community, how they can play that vital role in promoting healing and promoting support?" 

A ceremonial bill signing this week will feature multiple bills related to mental health and suicide prevention.

According to the Utah Department of Health, 44 youths between the ages of 10 and 17 committed suicide in 2017.

Utah is fifth in the nation for having the highest rate of teen suicide.

Pastor Carol Loftin’s of St. Paul United Methodist Church in Copperton, Utah, became involved in the crusade against teen suicide when she lost two youth from her own congregation to, as she calls it, death by suicide.

House Bill 440 - Suicide Prevention and Gun Data Study - passed unanimously in the Utah House Law Enforcement Committee, Tuesday.