By Ryan Stutzman
Local Mental Health Authority Says Local Trend Is Counterintuitive
One said she was going to kill herself with the gun she had in her hand. Another said she was going to cut her wrists with a knife. One teen boy made suicidal statements to his mother and then took off in an automobile.
In all, the Price County Sheriff’s Department recorded five suicide threats over the two weeks beginning April 10. That’s significantly higher than average. None followed through, but the spike in threats underscores the need to remain vigilant against depression and suicide, according to local authorities.
Gregg Engfer, a clinical social worker and the director of the Counseling and Development Center in Phillips, said in his experience an upsurge in depression and reports of suicidal threats are typical for spring – which bucks conventional wisdom.
“You would think that in the dead of winter people would get depressed, but in the spring it is worse for some strange reason,” he said.
Engfer could not correlate the surge to any particular factors, but he speculated that people are on the move in the spring, which tends to reveal problems that were under cover during the winter months. Alcohol and illicit drug use almost always aggravate circumstances, he added.
Engfer also said current events aren’t helping people’s mental health in general.
“There doesn’t seem to be anything good on the horizon,” he said, citing the war in Iraq, terrorism, gas prices and confrontational politics. “Everyplace you look there seems to be a crisis or a looming crisis.”
Gas prices seem to be a particular source of anxiety for people, he said, because the prospect of $4 per gallon of fuel forces people to evaluate their lives in ways they aren’t accustomed to. Even financially stable people might have to rethink long-anticipated getaways or change other priorities when it costs $50 or $60 to fill a tank.
“If I was to make a prediction, I’d say we’re going to have a long, hot summer,” Engfer said.
There are avenues for people who are struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts.
Suicidal thoughts should be addressed immediately. Suicidal individuals or others who suspect a person might be suicidal should call 9-1-1.
For people who feel they are suffering from depression, Engfer recommends an appointment with a physician so that possible physical factors can be evaluated. Mental health staff at the counseling center can be reached at 715339-3048.
Reprinted with permission of THE BEE.
