Since the age of 7, Bella Nyman has been grappling with mental health challenges, having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and anxiety.
According to Nyman, she admitted to being fearful of opening up to her parents about her suicidal thoughts. In hindsight, she believes that undergoing a mental health screening could have been beneficial in preventing her from concealing her struggles from both adults and peers.
Nyman emphasized the importance of discussing difficult matters, stating that they won’t improve unless addressed.
Nyman is currently associated with the Rural Behavioral Health Institute, an organization based in Livingston. The primary objective of this institute is to enhance mental health care in rural areas with the goal of minimizing youth suicides. Nyman’s recent involvement includes providing testimony in support of a bill. Unfortunately, this bill, which aims to allocate state funds for free mental health screenings in schools similar to those offered by the Rural Behavioral Health Institute, has been rejected twice during this legislative session by the Montana House.
Montana, which perennially has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation, also has a youth suicide rate twice the national average, according to a study released last year by the state Department of Public Health and Human Services. The COVID-19 pandemic and the isolation it caused increased many of the risks associated with suicide, experts said.
One in 5 students will develop a significant mental health problem during their school years, and roughly 7 in 10 students who need mental health treatment will not get appropriate care, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Screening for behavioral and mental health issues has become more prevalent in schools and can help identify students at risk or in need of intervention, according to SAMHSA.
But lawmakers in the state House of Representatives rejected the school screening measure, House Bill 252, sponsored by Rep. Jonathan Karlen, D-Missoula, saying the state already has a suicide prevention program and a statewide coordinator.
During a Feb. 2 House floor debate on a separate bill on suicide prevention, Rep. Bob Keenan, R-Bigfork, said suicide prevention has developed into an industry with no results to show for it.
Keenan stated that the discussion is ongoing and the numbers are still increasing.
On Feb. 15, Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte announced a $2.1 million grant to the Rural Behavioral Health Institute to essentially fund what HB 252 proposed — free optional mental health and substance abuse screenings for all schools statewide and same-day care for students flagged as being at high risk for suicide. The money will come from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Grant program, which is funded by federal COVID relief aid — and can be spent without legislative approval.
According to Keenan, he expressed his endorsement for the governor’s plan. Nonetheless, he believes that the state has allocated excessive funds towards suicide prevention and advocates for the implementation of additional community-based peer-support programs.
The health department report showed the state’s highest rate of suicide between 2011 and 2020 was among Native Americans — 32 people out of 100,000 — though Native Americans make up only 6% of the state’s population. National data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2021 showed that 16% of Native American and Alaska Native high schoolers had attempted suicide over the prior year.
Tribal leaders on rural reservations, such as Fort Peck in northeastern Montana, worried the pandemic would lead to a spike in child suicide deaths.
Other data from the CDC that the Rural Behavioral Health Institute shared with lawmakers last year shows that suicide is the second-leading cause of death for people age 10 to 44 in Montana. Most recently, eight teenagers died by suicide over a span of 16 months in the Flathead Valley.
The initiative announced by Gianforte would build on a pilot project by the Rural Behavioral Health Institute called Screening Linked to Care, which screened more than 1,000 students in 10 Montana schools from 2020 to 2022. Janet Lindow, executive director of the institute, said screenings are a key component in identifying students who may be at risk of dying by suicide.
Lindow explained that this method helps identify children who are silently enduring their suffering.
According to her, in every school where the program has been implemented, there has always been at least one student who was previously unnoticed but has now been recognized as requiring assistance.
According to Shawna Hite-Jones, a suicide prevention specialist from the Suicide Prevention Resource Center at the University of Oklahoma, it is crucial to incorporate screenings into a comprehensive strategy that involves training teachers to identify suicide risks, educating students about effective coping mechanisms, providing support to at-risk students, and ensuring that students can establish connections with their peers and trustworthy adults.
According to Hite-Jones, screenings can be beneficial for schools if they possess the necessary resources and connections with mental health professionals to effectively utilize them.
CDC data shows suicide rates have been increasing over the past decade. The COVID pandemic exacerbated many of the risk factors for suicide, like social isolation, financial insecurity, or lacking a trusted support group, Hite-Jones said. The pandemic also prompted new discussions about mental health and suicide, she said.
Jennifer Preble is a strong proponent of suicide prevention education and legislation within the Montana Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Recognizing the intricate nature of suicide, she emphasizes the significance of taking a broader perspective.
According to Preble, suicide cannot be attributed to a single cause, and likewise, there is no singular solution to address it.
If you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.
