September is Suicide Prevention Month: Montana's Challenges and Our Shared Hope

Montana has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation. As a psychiatrist and Medical Director at AWARE, I witness firsthand how this crisis affects families, communities, and entire generations. There are unique factors that make suicide especially pressing here: our vast geography, the isolation that many Montanans experience, limited access to behavioral health resources, and a high rate of firearm ownership. These challenges are compounded by stigma around seeking mental health support and by the serious disparities faced by our First Nations communities, who are disproportionately aff...