PROSPER engages with Washakie County about suicide prevention

A meeting last week in Worland began with a somber question to those attending: How many of you know somebody who has committed suicide? Every one of the 15 guests - including this reporter - raised their hand.

There is very little data available regarding suicide in Washakie County; the Wyoming Department of Health omits counties who report fewer than five suicides per year, and Washakie County has reported less than five suicides every year since this data has been collected.

At the state level, according to 2022 suicide statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a collection of the most recent nationally collected data available, Wyoming ranks in the top three states in the metric of age-adjusted suicide rates at 25.6 per 100,000 people. The 2022 national average was 14.21 per 100,000 people.

Due to having a small population, Worland has proportionately small incidents of confirmed suicides, and it goes nearly unreported in Washakie County, per the Wyoming DOH statistics.

PROSPER

The meeting last Thursday at the Worland Community Center was conducted by experts and activists representing PROSPER (Proactive Reduction Of Suicides in Populations via Evidence-based Research). This project is part of Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon's WY We Care initiative, launched in 2024 with the goal of improving mental/behavioral health offerings as well as public perceptions on the topic across the state.

Washakie is one of five counties (the others being Campbell, Park, Sublette and Sweetwater), selected to take part in PROSPER, with consultation from its founder psychiatric doctor Kent Corso. The meeting marked the beginning of a two-year project in Washakie County to find solutions that are unique to the community to prevent suicide.

SUICIDOLOGY

Corso began the meeting by introducing himself as a "suicidologist," a person who studies the factors and behavioral patterns that have resulted in cases of suicide. As an authority on the topic, he started by painting a broader picture of the issue using national statistics. He stated that annually, about 12.3 million people think about suicide every year, which he suggests is an underestimate; not everyone was surveyed, and not everyone wants to express that.

Of the reported 12.3 million people, Corso said about 1.7 million of them report attempting suicide per year. Of those, he said about 49,000 people in the U.S. die by suicide per year. Corso added, "The reason it's important to talk about those numbers is because it's much more widespread than we think, but because we don't talk about it we don't realize it."

Corso asked the crowd how many suicide attempts they thought there were per one death by suicide. Answers ranged from three to nine. Washakie County Sheriff Austin Brookwell surprised the audience reporting his department recorded four attempts in the last week. Corso said depending on the location reporting, attempts range from 50 to 250 for every suicide death.

CAUSES

Corso continued the conversation by identifying issues that can lead to attempting suicide. He was quick to dispel the notion that underlying mental health issues made certain people predisposed to attempt suicide, saying, "we tend to always give it this context of a psychiatric issue relating to depression; that's not the case. When we look at the main triggers, 42% of suicide attempts are preceded by a relationship problem."

He added that 22% involve physical health problems and 29% involve a substance abuse issue. Corso said, "No one thing causes suicide, there are multiple factors. If I'm drinking too much alcohol, it will probably affect my relationships, it will probably affect my job. These are social factors; it happens within some context."

He focused for a moment on youth suicide, where bullying is a driving factor, and where a spike in the rate occurs during months where kids are in school. Earlier in the meeting, Corso identified suicide as the second highest cause of death for people ages 10 through 44 in the country.

TRAINING

Corso suggested approaching this issue from a new perspective. He said that 60% of adults in the country are trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). He said he imagined that of those trained, if they were to see someone who appeared to be dying, many would feel an obligation to go and help that person. Corso said that outside of a hospital, CPR is 5% effective, and in a hospital setting it rises to 33% effective. He argued that although the chance of success is small, it's still worth doing to help someone survive.

He drew a parallel from CPR training to suicide prevention, saying, "What if there's a tool that helps people who are suicidal? What if there's something like CPR for them, wouldn't that be worthwhile to train people in?"

Corso introduced the idea of a crisis response plan. He said, "It's fancy terminology for an action plan that someone can put into place to help themselves. For those who get this help, the math shows it reduces suicide attempts by 76%. We train everybody in CPR hoping for at least a 5% chance to help someone, but what if we give people a tool that works 76% of the time in another kind of emergency?"

WHAT CAN WE DO?

While we wait for Washakie County to develop its own system to help those who are suicidal, the eventual goal of the PROSPER project, Corso called on individuals in the room to lead by examples. He urged them to stay connected with those around them, and to be present when they speak to others in their community. He said 80% of suicide victims show visible signs before they die; it's up to residents to notice them. If people do notice something, it's also up to residents to say something, he said.

Corso stated that although most people who are suicidal want help, a vast majority are unwilling to ask for it. He calls on residents to extend that help; tell them you notice that something is wrong, ask about it, and stop avoiding this question: "are you thinking about suicide?"

Creating a culture that embraces suicide prevention is necessary, according to Corso, and it begins with education. He expressed that this topic should be discussed with children beginning when they start school, and it's a conversation that should continue.

TESTIMONY FROM A SURVIVOR

A Marine Corps veteran from Casper, Shawn Moore, followed Corso by recounting the events that led to his suicide attempt, and how he recovered and became a suicide prevention advocate.

Moore was born in Thermopolis, and later moved to Casper where he would graduate from high school. Following school, he joined the Marine Corps and travelled the country, stationed at various bases, the last of them being Camp Pendleton in California. He said, "My stint in the Marine Corps got cut short; I only ended up serving two years. I received two traumatic brain injuries in my service, and after the second I had to regain the ability to walk and talk."

Moore's service ended in 2018, he was able to recover from his injuries, but his early retirement left him with invisible scars. He said that at that time he thought, "Where do I go now? Who do I talk to? Everyone I knew was still in the service. They couldn't relate."

He said that he sought help from a counseling service, and simply said, "I walked in there, and they basically told me I can turn around and walk out."

From there, Moore got employment working in the oil field and started a lifestyle that quickly took a toll on his wellbeing. He said, "Whenever I wasn't working, I was drinking. I was doing that for about four months."

In August 2019, Moore made a decision that changed his life. He said, "I felt off that day, and for the first time since I started working I took a day off. I went to see World of Outlaws [dirt track car races]. I was there all day, and a storm passed over that day. I was already in a funk, and the thunder blasts brought up a memory. I went back to the motel that night, torn between getting help and reliving the past. My grandfather called me, and I had a nice talk with him. I told him I was doing good. Later I thought I heard someone, so I grabbed my pistol and looked outside. No one was there. I heard the thunder again. Then I turned the gun to my head and pulled the trigger."

Moore said he woke up in a hospital in Denver. He was discharged two weeks later to a Veterans Affairs inpatient psychiatric care facility. While he was there, a change occurred within him and he decided he would dedicate his life to sharing his story in the hopes that it helps others struggling like he did. He said, "I ended up finding a love for what I do, being an advocate. All of those experiences shaped me into who I am."

He continues to share his story as an advocate for PROSPER and other organizations, while also seeking a degree through the University of Wyoming, and taking an active role in growing a veterans program in partnership with UW and other universities. "Your experience doesn't make you who you are. It's whether you are trying to be better today."

Following the two speakers, a question-and-answer segment was held, which will be covered in the Nov. 28 edition of Northern Wyoming News.