Percentage of Adults who have experienced a "major depressive episode"
In 2007, The institute Mental Health America published a study which attempted to rank the fifty U.S. states in terms of overall mental health. Not surprisingly, four states in the inter mountain West ranked among the top ten states with the worst overall mental health. Utah topped the list with over ten percent of adults experiencing severe depression within the past year. They average participant from Utah in the survey claimed they had 3.27 "poor mental health days" within the past month. From the map above, we can see a relatioship between the rate of people who have had a major depressive episode and the rate of suicide. Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Nevada and Oregon all top the list as states with the poorest mental health. These states also happen to have the highest suicide rates in the nation.
The institution found that in many cases, the states with the worst mental health experienced the highest suicide rates. It would be safe to say then that mental health is closely linked to suicide. The real question is what causes poor mental health conditions, and consequently, high suicide rates? Mental Health America has isolated the four largest factors that affect suicide rates. The factors are: mental health resources, barriers to treatment, mental health treatment utilization, socioeconomic characteristics. These factors are the most probable reasons why people in the inter mountain West commint suicide at a significantly higher rate than the rest of the nation.
It is interesting to note that suicide rates are directly proportional to the number of registered psychiatrist and psychologist. The higher the number of mental health advisers, the lower the suicide rates. Alaska, ranked fourth in the nation for its suicide rate, is ranked 42nd for the number of psychologist per capita. Idaho, also ranked among the top ten for its suicide rate, is ranked 44th in the nation in terms of the number of psychologist per capita. (
http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/pro/22/6/images/pro_22_6_427_tbl2a.gif ) This could indeed be one explanation for the high suicide rates in the west.
States that have a high number of people who report that they are unable to meet their healthcare needs due to cost or other barriers also have a high suicide rates. The more easily accessible health care in a state, the better the overall mental health of its citizens.
States with the highest percentage of antidepressant prescription per capita have the lowest suicide rates. This could also be associated to resources and barriers to treatment. It appears as if suicide rates are highest when people either refuse to seek to or are unable to obtain treatment.
States with the highest levels of education statistically have lowest suicide rankings. Also states with higher percentages of insured citizens statistically have lower suicide rates. A states gross domestic product (GDP) can also be a major contributing factor in suicide rates. Wyoming, Montana, Alaska and Idaho are ranked 48,46,45 and 42 respectively in terms of GDP per person. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_GDP_(nominal)
More than likely, not one of these explanations is solely responsible for the high suicide rates of the inter mountain west. Rather, these factors combined create the situation that allows suicide rates to be much higher on this specific geographic region.
Percentage of Adults who have experienced a "major depressive episode" 
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