Utah ranks fifth in the nation when it comes to suicide rates, according to new numbers released this week.
A suicide prevention advocacy group released a report Thursday addressing what can be done regarding this grim statistic. The Utah Foundation details how Utah differs nationally in its efforts and challenges in preventing suicide, pointing out that from 2000 to 2016, the rate of suicide in Utah rose from 15.8 per 100,000 residents to 24.2, an increase of 153%.
Part of the challenge in improving efforts to prevent suicide nationally and in Utah is that there are not many statistics which are consistently true nationwide, the foundation says. The statistical incongruities would suggest there is not a single methodical balm that can salve the entire nation. Race, gender, access to guns, mental health, and other life circumstances can be risk factors, the report concluded, but do not alone ensure predictability.
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