Factors that contribute to suicide

There is a stigma attached to suicide that prevents those contemplating the act from seeking help.

Depression, despair or low self-esteem are common precursors to suicide. But while these conditions are often the result of a physical condition, such as an abnormality of the chemistry of the brain, they are seen by many people as personality flaws, weaknesses that can be overcome by force of will.

Those who can’t overcome suicidal thoughts on their own are seen as weak or crazy, as failures. And no one wants their family, friends or neighbors to view them that way.

Many Protestant denominations, Catholicism, Judaism, Islam and many Eastern religions consider suicide to be a sin, although some, in recent years, have begun to recognize that biology plays a role.

The stigma not only prevents those contemplating suicide from seeking help, it hinders efforts to develop programs to address the issue.

Those who have contemplated suicide are often reluctant to share their experiences because they fear being labeled. Survivors of those who have killed themselves are reluctant to talk about what they saw or did prior to the suicide for fear of community reaction. And some lawmakers, who control the financing needed to create or maintain suicide prevention programs, are reluctant to devote scarce resources to what they see as a personal failing, rather than a societal issue.

Culture

Cowboy up.

Wyoming was built by independent men and women who relied mostly on their own skills and resources, and that cowboy culture is still highly valued in the state today.

But the emphasis on independence and self-reliance is seen by those working to reduce the state’s suicide rate as impeding their efforts.

“Cowboy Up” culture is a “disincentive to help‐seeking behavior,” according to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center. The culture makes people reluctant to talk with others about problems they may be having, such as depression, which can lead to suicide attempts, according to the center and mental health professionals.

Depression and other mental health issues related to suicide cannot be dealt with successfully without professional help. But two-thirds of Wyoming citizens believe treatment for suicidal thoughts is socially stigmatizing, according to the SPRC.

Substance abuse

Substance abuse is second only to depression and other mood disorders when it comes to risk factors for suicide, according to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

And the two often go hand in hand.

Many times, people with depression or other mental health issues abuse alcohol or drugs in an attempt treat their condition, mental health professionals say. However, such self-medication often only makes the problem worse, — not only by aggravating the condition, but also by preventing the suicidal person from seeking professional help.

Substance abuse has an even more direct effect on suicidal actions. Drugs and alcohol impair a person’s ability to make rational decisions, so a person under the influence is more likely to act on a suicidal impulse, mental health professionals say.

Alcohol and/or drug use are involved in roughly half of all suicide attempts, according to the Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol and Addictive Behavior.

Isolation

Studies have shown that a feeling of isolation can increase suicidal thoughts, particularly among adolescent girls.

Living in rural areas, where isolation can be physical as well as emotional, can exacerbate the problem.

Suicide risk factors like depression, economic worries and alcohol use are heightened in rural areas by social isolation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Researchers for the National Association for Rural Mental Health found that suicide rates are consistently higher in rural areas compared to urban ones.

The isolation of living in a rural area also makes it more difficult for those who would seek help to do so. Mental health services may be located hours from a ranch or even a rural community, and even if services are available relatively nearby, many of those contemplating suicide forgo getting help because they don’t want their neighbors to know — a situation far more likely to occur in a small town than in a large city.