BOISE, Idaho - Idaho's already high suicide rates could worsen as the COVID-19 crisis stretches into the winter months, and state officials are relying on technology for some outreach efforts.

In 2017, around 22 suicide deaths per 100,000 Idahoans put the state among the top five in the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

At the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare's Center for Drug Overdose and Suicide Prevention, Program Manager Palina Louangketh works on drug overdose and suicide prevention.

She said she predicts social isolation, job loss and uncertainty will have mental health consequences long after the pandemic ends. But she said technology is allowing Idaho's seven public health districts to team up and continue to help people.

"Especially for rural Idaho, because we don't often get to go to out into those spaces physically," said Louangketh. "But with the online and increasing use of WebEx and Zooms and other teleconference features, we're able to connect to all those areas."

She added the agency is also partnering with suicide prevention leaders in Washington state and Oregon to expand outreach in the Mountain West.

Anyone can call or text Idaho's suicide prevention hotline at 208-398-4357. It's staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In 2018, the state launched a plan aimed at reduced Idaho's suicide rate by 20% by 2025. Louangketh said the biggest task has been reducing stigma and discrimination associated with mental-health or substance-abuse issues.

She said the Department of Health and Welfare's website has a list of resources, including suicide-prevention training materials.

"And then we also have a training opportunity that folks can access too," said Louangketh. "It's an online platform called QPR training, gatekeeper training, to help people become become a little bit more proficient and comfortable familiarizing themselves with knowing what the signs are for possible suicide or risk of suicide."

She pointed out that reaching people at risk in remote, rural areas is a challenge, and says now more than ever, neighbors and community members should check in on one another, and not hesitate to ask for help.

"If you think about what the pandemic has done for not just Idaho, but across the nation and across the world, we really had to figure out an active way to come together," said Louangketh.

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for Idahoans ages 15 to 34, and for men up to age 44.


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The magnitude of climate change can feel overwhelming, creating a sense of so-called "climate grief" for some, but young climate activists say they are turning the sense of loss into motivation.

Studies show eight out of 10 young people are concerned about the climate, and half report feelings of anxiety, anger and helplessness about it.

Megan Birnbaum, youth engagement and policy fellow at The Climate Initiative, said it is important for young people to acknowledge their sadness about the environment, and to connect with other like-minded people who want to fix it.

"Grief can unfold and then, within that space, I think we can find more brain space or creativity, and especially community, in which to take climate action," Birnbaum explained.

Researchers found climate grief is partly caused by the feeling governments are not doing enough to avoid a climate catastrophe. Birnbaum pointed out young people in Maine have used the grief to help pass bills to improve environmental education and green spaces in underprivileged areas.

Leading climate campaigner Greta Thunberg has said she too has experienced a sense of "climate anxiety," and to get rid of it, it is important to "take action against it."

Birnbaum noted a recent gathering of young climate activists in Washington, D.C., revealed a palpable sense of loss but a stronger sense of hope.

"We were all really fired up to be together," Birnbaum recounted. "And felt so much solidarity that all the issues we are facing in our respective communities are connected by climate change."

Birnbaum pointed out activists in Maine are connecting to others in California, Florida and other places, sharing motivation and advice. She added young people deserve a world in which they do not have to fight for their future.

Nevada mental health professionals want to remind everyone it is OK to not be OK.

According to Mental Health America, in 2022 Nevada ranked last in the country for its overall prevalence of mental illness and for having the lowest rates of access to care.

Tennille Pereira, director of the Vegas Strong Resiliency Center, said following the recent mass shootings around the country, traumatic events can be triggering on various levels for people, especially for survivors.

She noted while May is Mental Health Awareness Month, mental health is something we need to take "more seriously year-round."

"We are seeing an unprecedented amount of mass violence, and there is a lot of discussion surrounding mental health and these incidents," Pereira pointed out. "Wherever you are on the spectrum of thought, in regards to that, these events do impact us."

Pereira argued after the Route 91 shooting massacre in Las Vegas in October 2017, killing 58 people and injuring more than 850, the state of Nevada did not have enough "properly trained and vetted providers to handle the need." She added while improvements have been made since then, things still need to improve.

Pereira observed survivors of mass violence often lose their sense of safety, when the "world can no longer feel or appear to them as safe." She emphasized therapy and mental health support are effective ways to work through trauma.

Pereira acknowledged when violent events continue to happen, it can really hamper a survivor's ability to bounce back.

"What it does is, it reinforces that thought distortion that the world isn't safe," Pereira explained. "It is really challenging for survivors to navigate a world where it keeps happening."

Pereira stressed one of the greatest barriers to getting help is the stigma often is associated with using mental health resources. She said the Vegas Strong Resiliency Center is working to "normalize" getting assistance and encourages everyone to check in with themselves, and added the center has expanded to provide services to all victims of violent crimes.


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May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and across the Commonwealth, buildings are lighting up in green, the color for mental health awareness.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, in 2021 more than 43% of Kentucky adults reported symptoms of anxiety and depression, and 40,000 youths age 12 to 17 suffer from depression.

Marcie Timmerman, executive director of Mental Health America of Kentucky, explained free and private online screening tests available at mhascreening.org can help individuals check their mental health status.

"The screens are a great way to know where is your mental health? Are you in a place where you might need some extra help?" Timmerman explained. "It also connects you with resources to help you get that extra help on your own."

Timmerman encouraged all Kentuckians to wear green today to show their support for mental health, and share photos on social media with the hashtag #mhaky. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 800 Kentuckians lost their lives to suicide in 2022.

Mary Malone, board president of Mental Health America-Kentucky and a retired nursing professor in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, said increasingly research shows it is critical to take care of mental health and stress with the urgency and attention given to physical health.

"We have no problem going to the doctor when there's a problem with our heart or with diabetes, but we're really hesitant when it comes to mental health issues," Malone observed.

Timmerman added communities are feeling the impacts of unaddressed mental health issues.

"Because not only is that person trying to get through their illness for other people who love them, work with them are around them or want to support them are also impacted," Timmerman pointed out.

According to the Kentucky Hospital Association, at the height of the pandemic in 2020, the percentage of emergency department visits for mental-health issues jumped by 53%, while overall visits declined.