Community research important in preventing suicide
Editor's note: This is the third in a four-part series on suicide and suicide prevention. The
, published Sept. 3, focused on how mental health and public health officials are addressing the problem of suicide in Wood County. The second part, published Sept. 10, focused on suicide prevention efforts in schools. The final story will focus on recovery for families of suicide victims and individuals who have attempted suicide. September is National Suicide Prevention Month.
Like other health research areas, suicide research faces typical challenges, including limited funding.
Unlike many other research areas, the stigma surrounding suicide still makes it an uncomfortable topic of conversation, and suicide rates can differ drastically by county and community with no clear explanation.
"There is significant variation in suicide rates and suicide-related hospitalizations across Wisconsin counties," said Dr. Stephen Hargarten, director of the Medical College of Wisconsin Injury Research Center in Milwaukee. "Certainly, more research is needed to begin to answer some of the questions about why Fond du Lac County has one of the lower suicide rates in the state and why suicide rates in Marinette, Juneau and Oconto counties are more than twice as high."
The Injury Research Center partnered with the state Department of Health Services and Mental Health America of Wisconsin to develop The Burden of Suicide in Wisconsin 2007-2011, a report released this summer aimed at better understanding the tragic public health problem, including trends and changes compared to the 2001-2006 report.
"The report is a good example of a framework for advancing understanding the public health burden," Hargarten said. "This kind of report allows ... leaders in counties across Wisconsin to examine their burden, see if they can reduce that burden, and if they are addressing it, to see how successful that has been."
He said if counties with low suicide rates can identify best practices, perhaps counties with higher rates could implement similar prevention strategies.
Prevention strategies
"One way communities can get involved is through suicide prevention coalitions," said Amy Schlotthauer, program manager at the Injury Research Center. "Another critical piece of looking at suicide is to partner with the local medical examiner and coroner to get the most recent data available to that community, and to work with child death review teams to examine circumstances that could lead to youth suicide."
Schlotthauer added recognizing that suicide is a public health problem in which everyone in the community can play a role preventing is another important part of understanding and preventing suicide.
The Wood County Health Department's mental health coalition is in the process of conducting focus groups of youths, adults, veterans and mental health care providers as part of a stigma reduction campaign the coalition hopes to launch in 2015.
The focus groups consist of seven to nine participants who are asked to discuss the definition of mental health, how they would access mental health services, obstacles to obtaining services, how the process could be made easier, labels and stigmas surrounding mental illness and mental health services, and how stigmas can be reduced or reversed.
Hearing directly about mental health issues from community members gives county officials the best chance at improving mental health care, said Kristie Rauter, community health planner and health promotion supervisor with the Wood County Health Department.
"We're giving people the opportunity to share their voice about things they know really well," she said. Rauter said a preliminary review of responses collected through the focus group revealed concerns about wait times for mental health services and stereotypes attached to mental illness, especially when it is untreated.
Healthy People Nekoosa is using community surveys and the World Café roundtable discussions on Oct. 30 to guide its suicide prevention and mental health improvement efforts.
"We want to involve the community more in taking action steps to bring about change," Nekoosa School District Superintendent Terry Whitmore said.
In northern Wood County, Marshfield Clinic psychiatry fellow Valentina Pacheco will submit for publication her findings on the impact of the Sources of Strength peer support program on preventing teen suicide.
Reporter Marisa Cuellar can be reached at 715-384-3131. Find her on Twitter as @cuellm34.
How to get help
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call the 24/7 Crisis Intervention Hotline:
• 715-421-2345 in Wisconsin Rapids
• 715-384-5555 in Marshfield
How to help others
QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Training is a free hour-long suicide prevention training offered through the Wood County Health Department. For more information, email DaNita Carlson at dcarlson@co.wood.wi.us.
More information about mental health and suicide
Healthy People Wood County Mental Health Conference
• Oct. 3; registration begins at 7:15 a.m., conference 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• University of Wisconsin-Marshfield/Wood County, 2000 W. Fifth St., Marshfield
To register, visit http://marshfield.uwc.edu/continuing-ed/conferences. The cost is $75 and includes morning snacks, lunch and materials. The deadline to register is Sept. 24.
Healthy People Nekoosa World Cafe
• 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 30 at the Nekoosa Community Center, 416 Crestview Lane
• Mental health survey available at www.nekoosasd.net.