skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Sunday, February 16, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump administration begins sweeping layoffs with probationary workers, warns of larger cuts to come; NYC music school teachers strike after union negotiations break down; Ohio advocates push for inclusive policies during Black History Month; Health experts recommend sunshine, socializing to cure 'winter blues.'

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Federal workers tasked with securing elections from foreign interference are placed on leave, parents' organizations reject dismantling Dept. of Education, and the Congressional Black Caucus presses discussions on slavery reparations.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rural America struggles with opioids and homelessness in unexpected ways, Colorado's Lariat Ditch could help spur local recreation, and book deliveries revive rural communities hit by Hurricane Helene.

MT Psychologist: Time to Rethink Suicide Prevention

play audio
Play

Monday, May 6, 2019   

BOZEMAN, Mont. – A Montana psychologist wants folks to get a new perspective on an issue that is plaguing the state – suicide.

Montana has ranked in the top five for suicide rates nationwide for three decades, according to the state Department of Public Health and Human Services.

The issue is growing across the nation. Rates increased 60 percent from 1999 to 2017.

John Sommers-Flanagan, a professor of counselor education at the University of Montana, says misconceptions about suicide persist.

He says one of the biggest issues is that it's associated with mental illness, but current science doesn't support this assumption.

"Suicide ideation or the thoughts about suicide are really a normal human experience,” he explains. “It's a normal thing that people experience and feel when they are also in excruciating distress."

Sommers-Flanagan is hosting workshops for counselors and lectures across Montana this summer, starting with a lecture at Montana State University on May 16.

The events are sponsored by Big Sky Youth Empowerment, a Bozeman-based group that works with at-risk teenagers.

Addressing another misconception, Sommers-Flanagan says people can't always rely on the typical warning signs for suicide risk.

"Truth is that the research just doesn't bear that out,” he states. “Every set of risk factors and warning signs ever produced has not been very effective proactively in identifying people who are at risk for, or likely to die by, suicide."

However, Sommers-Flanagan says a lack of concrete warning signs could lead counselors to be less authoritarian in their treatment, leading to a new way of interacting with people. He says a new model helps people feel more empowered.

"The new trend is to do collaborative suicide assessment and collaborative treatment planning so that the patient or the client feels heard and feels involved and engaged in the counseling or psychotherapy or treatment," he points out.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
In 2023, the Biden administration ordered a Bakersfield oil company to remove old oil rigs from Carrizo Plain National Monument in Central California. (Bob Wick/BLM)

Environment

play sound

Groups that fight to protect public lands are criticizing the Trump administration's new review of all oil, gas and mining on public lands. National …


Environment

play sound

This weekend, Virginians will participate with other birders around the world in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Thousands of birding enthusiasts …

Environment

play sound

This weekend, birders across the world, including in Maryland, will participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Thousands of birding enthusiasts …


A new study looking at drought impacts on grasslands found that such lands in China saw a 43% reduction in annual productivity, compared with just a 25% reduction in North America under the same conditions. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Grasslands are considered a vital component of South Dakota's landscape. But on the heels of new research, an expert suggests they might not fare as …

Social Issues

play sound

Minnesota is little less than a year away from launching its paid-leave law, but state lawmakers are debating whether to delay the start until 2027…

In its next contract, the Manhattan School of Music Precollege Program faculty union is looking for "reasonable" class sizes and for teachers to easily access remote learning tools when needed. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A New York City music school's faculty is back in the classroom after a weeklong strike. The Manhattan School of Music's Precollege Program faculty …

Social Issues

play sound

A New York bill would require schools to teach about the Jan. 6 insurrection. The bill calls for all K-12 students to be taught about the event…

Social Issues

play sound

The Texas Department of Agriculture is accepting sponsor applications for its 2025 Summer Meal Programs. The Summer Food Service Program and the …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021