American suicide rates continue to climb, with some rural states seeing double the number of deaths. Why?

When it comes to suicide prevention, what works where
hasn't been found. (Photo by A. Nath, Unsplash)

After decades of suicide prevention funding and plan roll-outs, the number of self-inflicted deaths in the United States has only increased, with some rural states shouldering double the number of deaths compared to their urban counterparts, reports Cheryl Platzman Weinstock of KFF Health News.

"From 2001 through 2021 suicide rates increased most years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Provisional data for 2022, the most recent numbers available, shows deaths by suicide grew an additional 3% over the previous year. CDC officials project the final number of suicides in 2022 will be higher," Weinstock adds. "Suicide rates in rural states such as Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming have been about double those in urban areas."

Meanwhile, mental health experts maintain that the ideas and educational programs aren't to blame for the results. Instead, they say, "the policies simply aren’t being funded, adopted, and used," Weinstock reports. "That slow uptake was compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic, which had a broad, negative impact on mental health. National experts and government officials agree the strategies simply haven’t been embraced widely."

How suicide data is determined and reported isn't uniform yet either. "Without accurate statistics, researchers can’t figure out who dies most often by suicide, what prevention strategies are working, and where prevention money is needed most," Weinstock writes. Without more clarity, deciding on the best preventative practices can become impossible. Interventions that work in sparsely populated Wyoming, may not work in the more populated farming towns of southern Indiana.

Other means to prevent or address suicide attempts also have gaps. "The fledgling 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline [also] faces serious problems," Weinstock reports. "Only 23% of Americans are familiar with 988 and there’s a significant knowledge gap about the situations people should call 988 for, according to a recent poll. . . . Most states, territories, and tribes have also not yet permanently funded 988, which was launched nationwide in July 2022."

While some regions are introducing 988 awareness campaigns, several states, including Colorado, are trying something new. Weinstock explains, "State officials installed financial incentives for implementing suicide prevention efforts, among other patient safety measures, through the state’s Hospital Quality Incentive Payment Program. . . .The program hands out about $150 million a year to hospitals for good performance. . . . Experts hope other states will follow Colorado’s lead."