Addressing Suicide Potential & Prevention in Rural & Frontier Areas: Suicide Prevention Toolkit for Rural Primary Care Providers

Depression and suicide are especially relevant today in rural areas because of rapid expansion of the aging population in U.S. rural areas, and the fact that persons 65+ have led in suicide rates since 1970. Rural areas have a higher share of aging residents, with more health problems, and more limited access to health services than urban areas. Additionally, DHHS reports indicate that approximately 20% of U.S. residents aged 55+ have a mental disorder, including depression, which has been shown to be highly related to suicide attempts and completions. Accordingly, the increasing prevalence of older residents in rural areas makes these areas prime candidates for training in suicide-prevention interventions that could be extremely helpful to the principal health care resources in such rural areas – namely, primary health caregivers.