Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Reporter's notebook: Somber studies

New Mexico has the fourth-highest suicide rate in the country, but compared to most states that rate grew less dramatically in the new millennium, according to a report this week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In its “Vital Signs” report that premised headlines across the country — and impactfully happened to coincide with two apparent suicides of prominent Americans in the same week (Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain) — the CDC observed that suicide rates “increased significantly” in 44 states between 1999 and 2016, with rate increases greater than 30 percent in 25 states.

The Land of Enchantment was not exempt from those trends, but it is unique among the top five states for the relatively slow growth of its suicide rates. With an age-adjusted annual rate of 26 suicides per 100,000 persons from 2014-16, the state ranked fourth after Montana (29.2), Alaska and Wyoming and just in front of Utah (25.2), according to the CDC’s supplementary data table.

However, New Mexico stood out from that company in having a rate-increase “rank” of 39th in the country since the 1999-2001 period, with an 18.3 percent growth from its rate then of 22 per 100,000. By comparison, the other states in the top five ranged from 13th to fourth in the growth of that rate during the same period.

By comparison with the westerly, lower population-density states in the top five, the states with the five lowest suicide rates were Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey, with rates ranging from 6.9 to 11.5.

CDC emphasized in its report that “suicide is rarely caused by any single factor,” and impacted those with and without mental health conditions in almost equal part. It recommended a comprehensive public health approach to the issue.

Wherever you are, whatever your issue, there may be some comfort and encouragement in knowing you are not alone — in fact, much of the country is struggling increasingly with something similar. The national suicide hotline is 1-800-273-8255.

— Compiled by Staff Writer David Grieder