“Idaho consistently ranks in the top 10 states for our suicide rate, but the ranking of four is higher than we’ve experienced.”-Kathie Garrett, Idaho Council on Suicide Prevention

The Suicide Prevention Action Network (SPAN), says the U.S. state of Idaho has the 4th highest rate of suicide in the whole country, according to the most recent stats available (2009).

In a report published in March 2012, SPAN said there was a 15% increase in Idahoans killing themselves, between 2008 and 2010!

Suicide is the number two reason for death of Idahoans, aged 15 to 34!

Between 2006 and 2010, 81% of suicides in Idaho were by men!

In 2011, 15.4% of Idaho teenagers considered killing themselves!

SPAN did not list any reasoning for the increase in Idaho suicides.

According to the American Association of Suicidology, there are 19.7 suicides per 100,000 Idahoans.  The average for the whole U.S. is 12 per 100,000.

The top ten U.S. states for suicide are Montana, Alaska, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon, Arizona and Utah.

Regional mental health workers say that the Pacific northwest, of the United States, has a strong stigma against people getting help, and people are looked down on if they are unemployed.  This is part of the Christian/Protestant Work Ethic described by Max Weber.

Also, this Christian/Protestant Work Ethic probably influenced Idaho law makers when they shut down the last suicide prevention hotline at the end of 2006.  By the way, note that suicides jumped when that happened!  In 2008 Idaho was ranked 6th in the country for suicide, then jumped to 4th just one year later!

A study by Idaho State University, here in Bannock County, said that if a suicide hotline was re-established it would get an average of 5,000 calls per year!

Even the Idaho National Guard has been demanding the return of a suicide hotline, after all citizen soldiers & airmen returning from the never ending War on Terror have a high rate of suicide.

Incompetent state law makers realized their mistake and agreed to bring back such a phone help line.  The problem is that the state doesn’t have the money to fully fund such a program, so it must be co-funded with donations!

The re-opening of a suicide call center came a step closer when it was revealed, in April/March, that enough funding had been raised to run a suicide prevention help line for 18 months.  Also, the hotline center will be based on the Idaho National Guard’s Gowen Field.

All that’s needed now is official national certification of the program, and the training of volunteers to take the calls.  Until then all calls will go to an Oregon center, the phone number is 1-800-273-TALK.

The Oregon call center says it’s getting at least 10 calls per day from Idaho.