Idaho’s high suicide rate rose in 2020. It’s down this year, but there’s more to do
Through August, 226 Idahoans have died by suicide — a grisly figure, but a total down 20% compared to this same time last year, when the state hit an all-time high for deaths.
The decline is a welcome development among state mental health officials after Idaho’s sum spiked during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and reached 430 suicides in 2020, according to data from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
The record set last year represented a more than 18% jump from the year before, and a dozen more deaths than the state’s prior record of 418 suicides in 2018. That was despite the United States as a whole experiencing a more than 5% drop in suicide deaths last year.
Idaho consistently ranks in the top 10 for suicide deaths nationally — including No. 5 in 2020 — with an annual rate that hovers around 22 deaths per 100,000 people, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. That compares to an average of about 14 suicide deaths among that same number of people across the U.S., according to the United Health Foundation.
“Historically, we’ve ranked as one of the highest states for suicide risk, along with other mountain states. It’s a significant public health concern,” Teresa Abbott, manager of Idaho’s Suicide Prevention Program, told the Idaho Statesman in an interview. “We’re where we’ve been for many years. It’s a problem we take very seriously, and that’s why we’re organizing our resources to make an impact.”
More than 47,500 people died by suicide in the U.S. in 2019, making it the 10th-leading cause of death that year among Americans of all ages, according to the most recent analysis from the CDC. For people ages 10 to 34, suicide was the No. 2 cause of death, and No. 4 for people 35 to 44 years old.
As National Suicide Prevention Week kicks off Sunday and runs through Sept. 11, state officials are seeking to spread awareness, as well as inform residents of the local resources available to them. By 2025, Idaho has a goal of reducing suicides statewide by 20%, or what would be roughly 80 lives each year based on current totals.
Part of that plan includes more state funding dedicated to Idaho’s Suicide Prevention Hotline, which launched in fall 2012. At that time, Idaho was one of just two states in the nation without a full-time dial-in suicide prevention phone line. Wyoming, which also consistently ranks in the top three for its annual suicide rate, was the last to add the service, doing so in August 2020.
Since it began, Idaho’s hotline has received more than 77,000 contacts from residents across each of Idaho’s 44 counties, said Lee Flinn, director of the Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline. The free, 24/7 resource, where trained volunteers accept calls, texts and online chats, helps people experiencing crisis, as well as friends and family of those facing challenges who are concerned someone they know may intentionally harm themselves.
Use of the service, which has an annual budget of about $1.2 million — nearly a third of which comes from the state — has increased each year, Flinn said. This summer alone, calls to 208-398-HELP (4357) are up 48% compared to the same 3-month period last year, she said.
As more people learn of the resource, and as Idaho’s population continues to rapidly grow, officials say the increased call total is a positive sign. People are invited to reach out about more than having suicidal thoughts, including issues with their physical health, relationships or other personal struggles, with an aim of preventing problems from building to the point of self-harm.
“Here at the hotline, we’re encouraged when the call volume is up,” Flinn said by phone. “Because we’re all humans. We all go through something difficult in our lives. When the call volume is up, it’s encouraging because people are reaching out for support.”
To help manage the rising call load, Idaho’s suicide hotline is seeking people interested in joining its team of about 90 volunteers who act as crisis phone responders. Volunteers are asked to commit to working one 4-hour shift per week for a year, and go through 65 hours of mandatory training before they begin answering the phone or replying to texts or the hotline’s online chat platform.
“We regularly hear from our volunteers how much they like volunteering with the hotline,” Flinn said. “A volunteer recently told me how much she looks forward to her shift, because she feels like she’s really making a difference. And another volunteer, who has been here a couple of years, said he planned to stay about a year because it was good professional experience, and now he’s gone beyond two years and said it’s one of the most meaningful things he’s done in his life.”
Those interested in volunteering must be at least 18 years old and able to pass a background check. Applications are being accepted now through Sunday, Sept. 5, and are available online at idahosuicideprevention.org/volunteer.
“There are lots of theories as to why the mountain states do lead in suicide rates, and one of the theories is we are behind in providing mental health resources,” Abbott said. “The additional funding that we’ve been able to provide to the hotline in recent years, maybe it will take a while to see that impact, but I certainly think that’s a step in the right direction. We’re reaching more people, we’re getting them help.
“The more callers we have, the more chances we have to intervene,” she said.
Need help?
Suicide prevention hotlines are available for people who feel suicidal, or people who are concerned about a loved one and need resources or guidance. All calls are anonymous and confidential, and the following resources are available 24/7:
- The Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline can be reached at 208-398-4357, by phone or text
- The state hotline also has an online chat option available at: idahosuicideprevention.org
- The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 800-273-8255. English or Spanish options available
- The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline also offers an online chat option for people who may be deaf or hearing impaired at: suicidepreventionlifeline.org
- If you feel like you may harm yourself, providers encourage residents to seek medical assistance immediately. All local emergency rooms can offer assistance.
This story was originally published September 2, 2021 at 9:01 AM.
