SUICIDE: Invest in prevention

Art Macomber’s My Turn on Nov. 29 is asking, “Why do people kill themselves?” There are as many reasons as there are people who do this, some of which Mr. Macomber has listed.

The state of Idaho has a mandated responsibility to its people to secure the funding needed for mental health care and it has failed miserably. Idaho’s current state hospitals in Blackfoot and Orofino have a combined bed count of 161, hardly a number to be proud of considering Idaho has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation.

When mental health doctors treat their patients, they should suggest that their children be seen for any condition that may have been inherited and what to look for to identify a problem. Adults with a severe mental illness should consider not passing along this burden. Stigma has prevented some parents to not seek help for them or their children.

Grade school teachers or counselors need to be educated to see the signs of any possible physical or sexual abuse, neglect, poor self-esteem, lack of eye contact, performance, bullying, mood swings and socially isolated behaviors. These are just some of the signs of possible suicides. As Mr. Macomber wrote, “prevention starts with knowledge.” Early diagnosis in our schools is instrumental in prevention.

Our Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) volunteer tirelessly to help victims of child abuse go through the court system and into foster care. These children are monitored and receive help at a very young age.

We need to take the homeless mentally ill people to a hospital to receive the medication they need instead of sending them to jail, where the effects only worsen their condition and overcrowd our jails.

Instead of the state of Idaho spending millions of dollars on the medical costs of suicides, it needs to spend more money where it will do the most good. Invest in our children in the schools, homes and more funding for organizations like CASA who really make the difference.

JoANN LOKKEN

Coeur d’Alene