By Amanda McIntosh and Savannah Eley
The opioid epidemic often walks hand in hand with local suicide rates.
As of 2017, suicide is the tenth leading cause of death nationwide. Utah ranks sixth in the nation for suicide deaths and suicide is the seventh leading cause of death overall according, to the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention. (AFSP, 2019)
Carbon, Emery, and Grand counties rank first in the state for suicide deaths.
For local youth ages 10-14, suicide is the second leading cause of death. This means that more children in that age group die by suicide than childhood cancer, car accidents and birth defects combined. In ages 15-24, suicide is the number one cause of death. Suicide is ranked seventh overall for deaths in the state. (CDC, 2019)
Compared with opioid deaths, Utah ranks 21st in the nation for deaths with Carbon and Emery, leading the state’s counties.
Often, people will turn to substance use as a coping mechanism for emotional pain. Pain is not always visible, physical, nor perceivable to the outside world. Numbing the pain from the inside becomes an attractive distraction until the individuals are unable to escape the harmful effects of their drug use and other complications.
Some individuals are at a higher risk for suicidal tendencies and opioid use disorders. Alcohol and drug abuse are among the leading risk factors for suicide. Other risk factors of suicidal ideation could include, but are not limited to, trauma of any kind, genetics, depression or other mental health disorders, loss of job or income, the loss of a loved one, and/or online bullying/social media harassment, etcetera. When people run out of hope, they are more likely to turn to substances to find joy and happiness. Loved ones who purposely overdose as a way to end their lives are not included in the statistics for suicide. The numbers would be much greater if this were the case.
The good news is that suicide and substance use disorders are preventable and treatable. We have to start having tough conversations with our loved ones and end the stigma around mental health and substance use disorders. To learn more about prevention, having these important conversations and breaking down the stigma, contact Amanda McIntosh, Suicide Prevention Specialist, or Savannah Eley, Opioid Prevention Specialist, at the Southeastern Utah Health Department.
It is when the hope runs out that our communities have a plethora of local resources to turn to for help. One of those resources is the HOPE Squad of Carbon, Emery, and Grand Counties. This non-profit organization was formed in 2013 by the Southeast Utah Health Department’s Health Promotions Director Debbie Marvidikis. In the last six years, Marvidikis and the team have created and sponsored many events in the community to bring prevention programs such as QPR: Question, Persuade, Refer and awareness to suicide and mental health with events such as Spring For HOPE, HOPE Festival, and the annual HOPE Walk. This year, the HOPE Squad is again sponsoring multiple events in local communities to cultivate the message that “There is HOPE, You Matter and You are LOVED.”
On Saturday, September 7, 2019 at the Price Peace Gardens, USARA will be sponsoring Substance Use Recovery Day. The event will be from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. This free event will feature presentations by Daniel L. and Julie Trotter, Mindy Andrade, live music and much more.
Please join the HOPE Squad of Carbon, Emery, and Grand Counties at any of their events for Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month in September. They will focus on the week of Sept. 9-13. Please contact Amanda McIntosh at (435) 637-3671 for questions or concerns.