Indian Country Suicide Prevention Receives Attention and Investment

Apr 24, 2017

By MBPC Staff

Maybe it’s our relative isolation and inability to easily access sufficient mental and behavior healthcare. Or maybe it’s the elevation or the sigma we often associate with depression. Whatever the reason, Montana has had one of the highest suicide rates in the country for almost forty years.

According to a report by the Montana Department of Health and Human Services, Montana ranked first in the nation for suicides in 2014. Nationally, whites have the highest rate of suicide, followed by American Indians. In Montana, this trend is reversed. Between 2014 and 2015, the American Indian suicide rate was 35.5 (per 100,000 people) compared to 28.1 for whites.

The same report notes that American Indian youth ages 11-17 are especially at risk. In fact, they are almost four times more likely to die by suicide than their white counterparts in Montana. Further, youth suicidal risk assessments for 2015 also show that American Indian youth living in urban areas are more likely than reservation-residing American Indian youth to seriously consider, plan, and attempt suicide.

We know that suicide has been a major public health concern in Montana for years, and particularly in Indian Country. This is why we applaud the legislature’s recent passage of House Bill 118, which invests $1 million in statewide suicide prevention efforts. Of this, $250,000 goes expressly to implement the action steps outlined in the Montana Native Youth Suicide Reduction Plan (MNYSRP). The Indian-owned consulting firm, Kauffman & Associates, in collaboration with both reservation and urban-based tribal communities in Montana, as well as the five urban Indian Health organizations created MNYSRP. MNYSRP came about as a result of an initiative developed by Governor Bullock in 2015, which was funded through the 64^th Montana Legislative session.

An official bill signing has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at 3pm.