News
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
A3
SIGNS OF SUICIDE
Proactive steps can be taken by anyone
Editor’s note: This is the fi-
nal installment of a three-part
series on suicide.
Oregon’s suicide rate has
been increasing since 2000,
but people can take proactive
steps to combat it.
Oregon’s suicide rate for
many years ranked seventh
to ninth in the
United States,
and the prob-
lem is get-
ting worse. In
2011, twice as
many Orego-
nians died by
Thad
suicide than
Labhart
were killed in
vehicle crash-
es.
According to the Oregon
Violent Death Reporting Sys-
tem, suicide was the eighth
leading cause of death in the
state in 2012. The age-adjust-
ed rate of 17.7 suicides per
100,000 individuals was 42
percent higher than the na-
tional average.
Suicide rates in Oregon’s
36 counties ranged from 9.4
to 36 per 100,000 individuals
from 2003-2012, according to
the Oregon Health Authority.
Grant County’s rate ranked
third highest at 32.1 after No.
1 Curry and No. 2 Harney.
Risk factors
Suicide rates in Grant
County are alarming, but pro-
active steps can be taken to re-
duce those numbers by people
without advanced training. An
important first step is to iden-
tify people who might harm
themselves.
Residents of Grant County
share many of the same risk
factors as other rural commu-
nities in the western states,
Community Counseling Solu-
tions Clinical Director Thad
Labhart told the Eagle —
geographical isolation, win-
ter weather, family dynamics
of denial, abuse, neglect and
separation, lack of things to
do, higher rates of gun owner-
ship, relatively less access to
mental health treatment, low
socio-economic status and
stigma issues about admitting
mental health problems.
Many Grant County resi-
dents have a strong sense of
independence, a “pick me up
by the bootstraps” or “tough-
en up” mentality that steers
them away from seeking help,
Labhart said.
The fishing, farming and
timber industries posted the
highest suicide rates of all,
according to a Centers for
Disease Control report on the
20 percent increase in the na-
tional suicide rate from 2002
to 2012. The CDC attributed
the high rate to workers fac-
ing isolation, high stress, lack
of mental health services and
the recent declining economy
in those industries.
Suicide impacts families
for years, even generations.
About one-third of suicide
victims in Oregon from 2003
to 2012 had experienced a cri-
sis within the prior two weeks,
including problems with an
intimate partner, physical
health, family stress, other re-
lationships, lost jobs or prob-
lems at work, financial diffi-
culties and criminal charges
or other legal difficulties.
Screening
Labhart said he would like
to see more screening and
referral. Cards provided by
the Columbia University’s
Lighthouse Project provide
a simple set of six questions
that parents, family members,
friends or co-workers can use
to identify people at risk of at-
tempting suicide.
People are asked if they
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St r a w b er r y Mo u n t a in
Gu n & Kn if e Sh o w
at the
Grant County Fairgrounds Pavilion
Saturday, April 7
Sunday, April 8
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Admission: $3 for one day or $5 for both days
Youth 7-18 $1 per day
BUY
SELL
TRADE
411 NW Bridge St., John Day
541-575-1900
grantcountyfairgrounds.com
Leading suicide
counties in
Oregon, 2003-12
... by suicide rate per
100,000 residents
Rank/county
Rate Deaths
1. Curry
2. Harney
3. Grant
4. Wheeler
36
32.7
32.1
29.1
77
22
22
4
... by suicide deaths
Rank/county
Rate Deaths
1. Multnomah
2. Washington
3. Lane
4. Clackamas
15.4
12.2
17.7
13.8
1,084
639
612
523
Statewide
16.4
6,145
Source: Oregon Health Authority
EO Media Group graphic
had wished they were dead or
thought about killing them-
selves over the past month
and, more specifically, if they
had thought about how they
would do it. People are also
asked about how serious they
had considered these thoughts,
or if they had worked out the
details of how they would do
it. They are also asked if they
had actually done something
or prepared to do something
to end their lives.
Labhart noted that only
38 percent of people who
complete suicide ever men-
tion it to others ahead of
time, so it’s important to
consider the risk factors to
identify a person and then
ask these questions.
Any yes to the Columbia
Lighthouse questions should
be taken seriously. If a per-
son has indicated serious in-
tent or taken definitive steps
toward committing suicide,
they should be escorted to
emergency personnel for
care.
Labhart noted that veter-
ans complete suicide at about
twice the rate in Oregon and
2.5 times the national rate.
Veterans in isolated commu-
nities like John Day don’t
have to travel to Veterans Ad-
ministration facilities — they
can find help with local pro-
viders like Community Coun-
seling Solutions through the
Veterans Choice Program.
The City of John Day is seeking applicants for a
vacant position on the John Day City Council
under the provisions of Ordinance 82-29-01.
One applicant will be appointed by the
City Council to fill Councilor Position #6
for the remainder of the term ending
December 31, 2020. Persons wishing to
apply for city council must reside within
the incorporated city limits.
Applications may be picked up at City
Hall (450 E. Main Street) during business
hours, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday -
Friday. Applications are due to City Hall by
close of business on March 30, 2018.
An appointment will be made during the
regular session of the city council
scheduled for April 10, 2018, 7PM at the
John Day Fire Hall
(316 S. Canyon Boulevard).
Madden Brothers Performing Arts Center
116 NW Bridge St. John Day, OR 97845
• Community Counseling
Solutions in John Day, 541-
575-1466
• David Romprey Oregon
Warm Line, 1-800-698-2392
• Oregon Youth Line,
1-877-968-8491,
text
839863, youthL@linesfor-
life.org
• National Suicide Preven-
tion Lifeline, 1-800-273-
TALK
• Spanish Language Na-
tional Suicide Prevention
Lifeline: 1-888-628-9454
• Crisis Text Line: 741741
• Military Helpline: 888-
457-4838 or text MIL1 to
839863
• Alcohol and Drug Help-
line: 800-923-4357 or text
RecoveryNow to 839863
• Suicide Prevention Re-
source Center, sprc.org
• SafeOregon report-
ing line: 844-472-3367 or
tip@safeoregon.com
Treatment
CCS offers individual,
family and group treatment
options, psychiatric consulta-
tion, medication prescription
and referrals to higher-level
care, Labhart said.
“Treatment works — ab-
solutely,” Labhart said. “Sui-
cides are much lower for peo-
ple in treatment.”
Representatives at the
Feb. 15 meeting of the Grant
County’s Youth Suicide Re-
sponse Team recognized a list
of steps already being taken
to address suicide in Grant
County. Mental health pres-
ence in schools is increasing,
CCS is providing more pre-
vention work and depression
screenings and more training
has been offered, including
crisis-intervention training for
law enforcement.
Typically police officers
are trying to enforce the law,
Labhart said. The new train-
ing helps them differentiate
between mental health issues
that could be linked to sui-
cidal tendencies and someone
Risk factors
• Can’t enjoy anything
• Anxiety and/or panic
• Insomnia
• Hopelessness or despair
• Homicidal ideation
• Psychotic disorder or com-
mand hallucinations
• Personality disorder
• Mood disorder
• Post-traumatic stress dis-
order
• Substance use, abuse or
withdrawal
• Impulsivity, aggression or
anti-social
• Ongoing medical illness,
including chronic pain
• Recent or anticipated loss
of relationship, finances,
health or home
• Loss of support or increas-
ing isolation
• Perceived burden on others
• Legal issues or incarcera-
tion
• Local suicide cluster or ex-
posure to one through media
• Access to lethal means, in-
cluding firearms
• Recent inpatient discharge
• Noncompliant or not in
treatment
who is behaving badly. Addi-
tional training is a good idea,
he noted.
Looking forward, the
Youth Suicide Response
Team called for more com-
munity screening efforts and
more collaboration with coun-
ty officials, law enforcement,
community-based businesses
and churches.
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Suicide
prevention
resources
Blue Mountain Eagle
A man wakes up in
the morning after
sleeping on an
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He will bathe in an ADVERTISED TUB, shave with an ADVERTISED RAZOR,
have a breakfast of ADVERTISED JUICE, cereal and toast, toasted in an
ADVERTISED TOASTER, put on ADVERTISED CLOTHES and glance at his
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hesitates to advertise, saying that advertising doesn’t pay. Finally, when his
non-advertised business is going under, HE’LL ADVERTISE IT FOR SALE.
Then it’s too late.
AND THEY SAY ADVERTISING DOESN’T WORK?
DON’T MAKE THIS SAME MISTAKE
Advertising is an investment, not an expense. Think about it!
47803
By Richard Hanners
Blue Mountain Eagle
MyEagleNews.com
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