Why New Mexico Has The Highest Suicide Rate in The Country?

Photo by Isabela Drasovean on Unsplash

Grief after a suicide differs from grief after other types of bereavement. It also leaves the family and friends with powerful feelings of anger, confusion, and guilt. Suicide is the intentional and voluntary taking of one's own life, usually to escape pain and suffering.

According to reports, New Mexico has the highest suicide rate in the United States. In 2018 which was the most recent year for which national data is available, it reached the top of the list with 25.6 suicides per 100,000 people compared to the national average, which is 14.8 suicides per 100,000 people.

As per the data provided by the Department of Health, the number of suicides rose in five of the nine age groups, and three-quarters who killed themselves were male.

The report also discovered that firearms were used in more than half of all suicide deaths in 2019, implying that child access protection laws and gun purchase permits can help reduce suicides. Gun ownership and relatively lax firearms laws exacerbated the problem. Regretfully, such legislation has not been enacted in New Mexico.

Another factor why New Mexico has a high rate of suicide is studies have found that the state has a high rate of Adverse Childhood Experiences, which are associated with depression, and higher rates of self-harm and suicide. Furthermore, the availability of behavioral health services is limited.

The areas with the highest suicide rate in the country may see an increase due to the COVID-19. The pandemic has caused great harm to families, from illnesses, deaths, and isolation to economic difficulties due to lost jobs.

The pandemic's consequences were particularly difficult for children, teenagers, and young adults. In 2020, their lives were thrown into disarray as schools were closed, sports and other activities were canceled, and large gatherings with relatives and friends were prohibited.

This has caused great concern in New Mexico - between 2014 and 2018, 29 percent of deaths amongst the youth (age15 to 24) is attributed to suicide.

More than 10 percent of high school students have attempted suicide.

According to the legislative report, the number of suicides has continued to rise. In 2019, even though overall suicide numbers in the state have slightly decreased, deaths for young people in this age group have continued to rise.

Even younger children, as young as eleven, have committed suicide, which alarmed their small communities and the state. Clearly, the pandemic has a great impact because their social lives have drastically changed.

Concerned officials are urged to develop a plan aimed at reducing suicide deaths by 10% over the next five years, and more data monitoring, increased access to behavioral health services, laws limiting lethal means of committing suicide, such as firearms, which were used in 55% of suicides in the state in 2019, and expanded training in schools to recognize signs that a student could be feeling suicidal.

The grief, economic hardship, and isolation especially related to Covid-19, create a mental crisis in the state. The lack or inadequate access to suicide prevention has aggravated the situation in New Mexico.

A youth-led initiative called Wellness Ambassadors to Voice and Empower (WAVE) focuses on suicide prevention and is offered in all schools.

The center of their advocacy is based on what kids tell them, and everything pivots around prevention. Other local organizations offer suicide and counseling services at a residential behavioral health treatment facility.

We can avoid suicide. The Department of Health collaborates with its statewide partners to develop a standard of care that will identify when a person requires a behavioral health follow-up.

The intervention should include a patient-centered safety intervention plan, incorporating a discussion on limiting access to lethal weapons, linking the patient to a crisis response center, and a quick referral to a behavioral clinician.

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