Arizona State University's Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety and the Arizona Violent Death Reporting System have released a report that shows the suicide rate among Arizona men is more than three times the rate of Arizona women. Access to care might be part of the problem.
The ASU study analyzed suicides in Arizona, examining the characteristics of the victims and the circumstances of their deaths.
The report said 16 out of every 100,000 people in Maricopa County die by suicide. Charles Katz, director of the ASU center, said in rural counties the numbers are much worse.
“In Yavapai County, Navajo County, Graham County and Mohave County, that rate is about twice as much. In other words, we see about twice the number of suicides in some of our rural counties as we do in Maricopa County," Katz said.
The report showed men were more than three times as likely as women to die by suicide, with rates of 29.5 per 100,000 population compared to 8.3. These figures are similar to the national rates.
Katz said Arizona men in rural communities are particularly at risk.
“I think one of the big takeaways from this project is access to resources,” Katz said. “And that, you know, we have a lot of men, especially in rural areas, that are oftentimes resistant to getting help.”
Katz said when men do reach out for help, rural areas oftentimes don’t have the resources necessary to provide assistance.
