The number of suicides in Colorado is at an all time high. 1,053 people took their own lives in 2012 – giving Colorado one of the highest suicide rates in the nation. Jarrod Hindman is the Director of Suicide Prevention at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. He says the state’s geography limits access to mental health services, and the social stigma of getting help continues to contribute to the numbers.
“This behavior of, or thought process around, picking yourself up by your boot straps when you’re struggling and working through problems on your own," Hindman says, "It doesn’t work if you have a disorder that needs medical attention.”
Because of population density, Hindman says the most deaths occur in the Denver metro area and Front Range, but the highest rates still occur in rural counties. Men still account for the greatest number of suicides, but the rate for women is also increasing, up 18 percent from last year.
