Alcohol abuse playing role in suicide

Montana Standard (Op-Ed)

Congratulations to The Montana Standard for disseminating the disturbing statistics about suicide in Montana and in Silver Bow County. Awareness and education are important components in helping make positive changes in our community. These articles focused on the significant roll that mental illness plays in suicide. One of the statistics I have seen is that 90 percent of all people who die by suicide have a diagnosable psychiatric disorder at the time of their death. So, mental illness plays a major role in suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and suicide. As previously reported, high unemployment rates, substance abuse, alienation, prevalence of lethal devices, “the cowboy way” and varying cultural views on suicide all contribute to this momentous problem in our society. While I don’t want to diminish the important role that mental illness plays in suicide, another equally important factor to be aware of is the role of alcohol.

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