Prevention Speaker Discusses Suicide Awareness In Area
Karl Rosston, suicide prevention coordinator, provided information regarding suicide prevention in Roosevelt County last week.
After being a speaker at an assembly for Wolf Point teachers on Wednesday, Aug. 13, Rosston delivered presentations to health care professionals in Wolf Point, Poplar and Culbertson on Thursday, Aug. 14.
He said one of his goals during the presentations was to increase awareness. He wants teachers to know the warning signs if a student is considering suicide.
Rosston notes that the Fort Peck Reservation is the only reservation in the country to have a call center. He commended Phoebe Blount for doing a good job as the project director.
If a person is in crisis and wants help, they can call, text or chat the Montana Suicide Prevention Crisisline at 988.
Montana still ranks in the top five for the nation for suicide rate. Rosston said Montana currently ranks second. Montana, Alaska and Wyoming always seem to be in the top three. One of the challenges that rural areas have is a shortage of mental health professionals. A positive is increased opportunities for telehealth support. Rosston said Frontier Psychiatry guarantees individuals will be seen within two weeks.
The highest rate of suicide in Montana is among American Indians at 43 per 100,000. Caucasians are second at 26 per 100,000.
The most common means of suicide include firearms at 66 percent, suffocation at 16 percent and poisoning at 7 percent. Montana’s youth suicide rate is 17.5 per 100,000, which is more than double the national rate. There is a 380 percent increase in suicidal ideations for students getting grades of D’s compared to A’s.
Studies show that for every completed suicide, there are 25 survivors.
Based on figures from 2013-2022, the counties with the highest rate of suicide are Musselshell at 51.6, Blaine at 46.2, Rosebud at 44.8, Powell at 38.7, Jefferson at 38.1, Park at 38.1, Silver Bow at 38, Roosevelt at 37.6, Carbon at 36.7 and Deer Lodge at 36.7.
