SUICIDE SOLUTION; SPAN Idaho introduces prevention plan

At its annual conference last weekend, the Suicide Prevention Advocacy Network (SPAN) of Idaho unveiled the state's first statewide suicide prevention plan. Six months in the making, the plan was drawn up in part to address Idaho's status as eighth in the nation for the rate of suicide among all population groups. Only accidents and unintentional injuries cause more deaths in Idaho every year.

Governor Dirk Kempthorne, First Lady of Idaho Patricia Kempthorne and Representative Margaret Henbest championed the plan, outlined in a comprehensive 34-page booklet.

"One death by suicide is too many," said Governor Kempthorne. "I am confident this plan will help us to better address this problem."

The purpose of the plan is to guide agencies, organizations and individuals at state, regional and local levels when they draw up their own action plans. In response to scarcity of funding, the plan looked beyond traditional suicide prevention entities, such as mental health providers, to include faith-based and other non-traditional organizations, including tribes, Area Agencies on Aging, and the Idaho State Police Post Academy.

Even though Idaho leads the nation in suicides as a whole-14.4 for every 100,000 citizens from 1999 to 2001, compared to 10.7 per 100,000 nationwide--the plan highlights four population groups within the state as being especially at risk: young Native American males (15 to 24 years), elderly males (75 years and older), working-aged males (18 to 64 years), and teenaged males (15 to 17 years). When looking at these individual groups, Idaho suicide rates jump significantly to 21, 81.2, 25.8 and 22.5 per 100,000, respectively. Males in Idaho and the nation as a whole are four times as likely to die from suicide as females. In two out of three suicides in Idaho from 1999 to 2001 a firearm was used. And completed suicides are only part of the problem. In 2001, it was estimated that for every completed suicide there were almost 40 attempts in Idaho.

The Suicide Prevention Plan is formatted according to four categories: infrastructure, awareness, implementation, and methodology. Within each category the plan offers guidelines at both the state and local levels. Appendices outline risk factors, best practices, and more.

SPAN Idaho was created in 1994 at the request of a U.S. Public Health Initiative. It began work on the Suicide Prevention Plan in November of 2002, when 63 participants from all regions of the state met at Sun Valley to begin the process. To volunteer, make a donation, or learn more about SPAN Idaho, call 426-3532.

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