Jefferson County increasing suicide awareness efforts

Montana has always had a problem with high suicide rates. In the last three decades, the state has been in the top five states in the country.

There are many factors that contribute to these rates, including limited access to care, access to firearms, vitamin D deficiency, and the high altitude, according to a report from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.

Jefferson County was ranked seventh in the state for suicides in the period between 2011 and 2020, according to data from DPHHS. The rate was 38.3 suicides per 100,000 residents.