Study reveals continued concern over rising suicide rates in the US
“The United States has seen a 30 percent increase in age-adjusted suicide rates nationwide since the late 1990s,” said Amanda Bakian, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Utah and the Huntsman Institute of Mental Health.
She also noted that the rate is even higher in Utah.
“Utah is part of what is commonly referred to as the ‘suicide belt,’ which includes all other states in the Mountain West, where age-adjusted suicide rates are among the highest in the nation, and have been for quite some time,” Bakian said.
Bakian, also published by U of U Health, was the lead author of a study published in Environment International that looked at 7,551 suicide cases in Utah from 2000 to 2016, specifically looking at short-term risk factors in the two weeks leading up to suicide.
“What we found is that short-term increases in heat increase the risk of suicide, but when that heat is in the presence of high concentrations of air pollutants such as particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide, those air pollutants amplify or intensify the effect of heat on suicide risk,” Bakian said.
He further explained that suicide mortality is thought to be the result of three parts. 1) underlying risk factors such as those rooted in genetics and trauma; 2) mediating risk factors that may develop and change over the lifespan; and 3) short-term risk factors such as substance abuse, social stressors, and climatic stressors such as heat and pollution.
Bakian wants to focus on short-term factors and support important intervention efforts.
“The ultimate goal is absolutely to help,” she said. “I really don’t know anyone who hasn’t been affected by suicide. Suicide is the leading cause of death in this country, it’s the leading cause of death in Utah, and it’s a result that requires more attention and creative thinking.”
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, know that you are not alone. Please talk to someone you trust. You may also consider calling or texting the Suicide Crisis Lifeline at 988, visiting 988lifeline.org, speaking with someone, or contacting the Utah Mental Health Crisis Care Center, which provides 24/7 walk-in care.
Additional resources:
International Association for Suicide Prevention
5 action steps to help someone considering suicide
zero suicide
Utah 988
National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention
Suicide Prevention Resource Center
Safe UT
