Why is the Colorado suicide rate so high? (Columbine: living, professionals)

[Charles]

I wonder if it might have something to do with the familiarity many Coloradoans have with firearms. Many Colorado Springs residents are ex-military. Colorado has a lot of hunters. Because of these, lots of people own and know how to use guns.

Makes it easier.

[Highpointer]

Originally Posted by ditto

Coincidentally, AK, MT, NV, WY, CO, ID, & UT have more males than females, which is above the national average. Hmm.

When I was a graduate student at the University of Arizona in 1992, I saw in a journal a similar list of state rankings by suicide rate. The article postulated that states with lower population densities had higher suicide rates. For a class project in a statistics class, I correlated the state suicide data with population density and other statistical data. One of the statistical data that I correlated with suicide rates was each state's male/female ratio. My analysis revealed that a state's male/female ratio correlated reasonably well with its suicide rate and this correlation was stronger than a state's population density to its suicide rate.

Thus, states that have a high male/female ratio likely have a higher percentage of single men, and single men have higher suicide rates than married men and both single and married women.

[mover6]

from personal experience, I would say loneliness and cabin fever. I have lived in several states, and the people I have met here are nice, but are afraid to have anyone over at their homes or backyard for a barbecue. If they are not skiing or hiking, they lock themselves up. The women have other women over to purchase items from them. The home sales companies are making it rich here, or at least Denver suburbs.
I have heard the same response from several people here. The winters sometimes begin in late October and continue through May. We are here for a while longer, so I hope the weather improves.
It is unhealthy to not have people contact, and to be indoors most of the year.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Charles

I wonder if it might have something to do with the familiarity many Coloradoans have with firearms. Many Colorado Springs residents are ex-military. Colorado has a lot of hunters. Because of these, lots of people own and know how to use guns.

Makes it easier.

There is quite a bit of research that more females attempt suicide but more males "complete" (medical jargon) it, due to males using more lethal means.

Originally Posted by Highpointer

When I was a graduate student at the University of Arizona in 1992, I saw in a journal a similar list of state rankings by suicide rate. The article postulated that states with lower population densities had higher suicide rates. For a class project in a statistics class, I correlated the state suicide data with population density and other statistical data. One of the statistical data that I correlated with suicide rates was each state's male/female ratio. My analysis revealed that a state's male/female ratio correlated reasonably well with its suicide rate and this correlation was stronger than a state's population density to its suicide rate.

Thus, states that have a high male/female ratio likely have a higher percentage of single men, and single men have higher suicide rates than married men and both single and married women.

At last some professional data on this topic. I did quit reading this thread for a while, so I may have missed some. It's impossible to speculate.

[brightdoglover]

I'd say that a lot of what are listed as female "attempts" are actually deliberate non-lethal self-injury, which is much less common in men. (See the current media fuss about "cutting"and so forth- a lot of girls/women do this in a way of "feeling my pain" or "relieving tension" and so on. I don't get it, but I do know that it is very common (I work in the field- see it all the time).
And yes, men are more likely to use a lethal method because they are less concerned about disfiguring themselves. Women, if serious, still want to take pills and go to sleep like Sleeping Beauty or something. Men are willing to do some real damage.
Women/girls also "overdose" on next to nothing as an expression of their discomfort, or a maniupulation to those around them, etc. etc. They know that 15 Tylenol or 10mgs. of Valium won't do it. Often, they do just want to go to sleep and escape their own misery at the moment. And all this gets listed as "suicide attempts."

[RangerDuke08]

Originally Posted by Charles

Ten second analysis looks like it correlates inversely with population density.

I concur, with that of related alcohol/drug problems in rural less densely populated area of the Rocky Mountains.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Charles

Ten second analysis looks like it correlates inversely with population density.

Though that may not be the reason, just a correlation.

[Neditate]

I haven't read through all the posts but my guess is that it is because of the $%&*#! WIND! Not that I have contemplated suicide because of it, but it sure has made me think about moving -- and I've lived in CO for 26 years.

[Bob from down south]

I guess I just don't worry much about it, as it's one of those classically self-correcting phenomena. When you think about it, self-elimination from the gene pool seems to be one of those uniquely human Darwinian efficiencies.

Sort of reminds me of a quote from the old M*A*S*H series..."if we had more men like you, we'd have less men like you."

[Katarina Witt]

As a health professional, I have a real problem with people making light of such a serious situation. I know a lot of this is in jest, but sucide isn't really funny. My uncle told me a story about a man in his town in Wisconsin who said to a friend, "I'm so depressed, I think I'll go home and shoot myself". His friend (not, thank God, my uncle) said "Yes, that's a good idea". The man went home and did exactly that. It's serious.