Health and Fitness : National Survivors of Suicide Day

Rural Americans are especially vulnerable to suicide

November 22nd is National Survivors of Suicide Day; a day to take stock of the emotional cost of suicide by remembering and comforting those who are still with us but who have lost a loved one, a dear friend, or a fond acquaintance to suicide. Hardly a person in any community can say they haven’t been affected by suicide or the mental illnesses that lead to it.

One country, Sweden, is beginning to look at suicide as a psychological accident that may be preventable. Just as physical accidents occur when several conditions meet at the same point in time, suicide can be thought of in the same way. The first condition is an underlying psychological illness like depression. The second condition is a point in time with a heightened desire to escape from the psychological pain. Third is access to a lethal method of escaping that pain. Eliminate any one of those elements at the right point in time and perhaps many suicides, and the emotional scars of survivors, can be prevented.

The Iowa Department of Public Health is working to reduce suicide deaths to zero in the state of Iowa. The highest number of suicides in Iowa in twenty-five years occurred in 2013 with a death toll of 445. In 2014 the toll was 392. The department’s goal is to reduce deaths by 10% in each of the years to follow.

Rural America is especially at risk of losing community members to suicide. The risk for rural young people is double the rate of urban youth, as reported in an article about potential causes by NPR. A recently published study by Princeton economists Angus Deaton and Anne Case showed a disturbing trend of rising death rates for the less-educated, white, middle aged Americans who are more numerous in rural areas. The total estimated loss of life in this group from increased rates of suicide, chronic liver disease, and drug overdose is estimated 500,000 since 1999. Finally, agricultural occupations are 3.6 times more likely to die of suicide than workers in any other occupation.

The new Vinton Family Medical Clinic building represents the first time primary health care at the local level has attempted to incorporate mental health as a part of the service offering.

In Virginia Gay’s recent “Thrive” magazine, Virginia Gay CEO Mike Riege was quoted as saying, “Because some 45% of those who die of suicide have seen their primary care physician in the month preceding their death, and because in rural America most people rely on their primary care provider to also be their mental health provider, these deaths leave deep and lasting wounds in our staff. But underlying the problem…..what we’re seeing on a daily basis, are the effects of depression, prescription and non-prescription drug abuse, other addictions, and deeply emotional interpersonal conflict. The professionals of Virginia Gay are already dealing with these problems, but now we will support them with a person dedicated to helping those suffering from mental illness.”

The new clinic’s expanded services share the Iowa Department of Health’s goal of reducing stigmas associated with seeking help or receiving treatment for mental illness. By incorporating mental and physical health services, it’s hoped that patients will find it more convenient to seek out treatment and feel more comfortable receiving services.

If you are a survivor of suicide, more resources are available online at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or know someone close to you who is, help is available at Foundation 2 www.Foundation2.org, or by calling the 24 hour help line at 855-800-1239 to reach trained counselors any day, any time. To learn more about how you can help support the new Vinton clinic, click here.