PRIEST RIVER — Idaho is consistently among the top ten states in the U.S. with the highest suicide rates, according to research by Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

In 2016, Idaho had the eighth highest suicide rate in the U.S., and it is the second leading cause of death in the state for those between the ages of 15-34, and for males up to age 44.

Between 2012-2016, 105 children in Idaho between the ages of 6-18 died by suicide, according to the research. The northern part of the state, District 1, tends to be the highest in the state for suicide rates.

Because of the growing problem across the state and the country, the West Bonner County School District is implementing a training program called QPR, which strives to teach people to “question, persuade and refer” in an effort to prevent suicide.

“It teaches people how to go ahead and ask the question, what signs to look for, then to persuade that person to go and get some help, and then how to refer them,” said Lynn Bridges, WBCSD lead counselor and homeless liaison assistant. “It is not meant to be a training that will make a person a mini-counselor, so to speak, if that is not their area of expertise. It is intended to offer hope through positive action.”

Bridges facilitated a parent meeting on the QPR training on Dec. 6 at Priest River Junior High. The parent meeting was similar to the presentation Bridges said she would be giving to the middle school and high school students as well.

“The reason that I am passionate about that is because I have, unfortunately, lost students, lost colleagues over the years ... and I have had a family member present that they were very depressed and not sure what their options were,” Bridges said.

Every other year, the State Department of Education does an Idaho Youth Risk Behavior Survey. One thing that stands out on the 2017 survey, Bridges said, is that not all students who may have attempted received medical care. According to the survey, 9.7 percent of high school students, freshman through senior, attempted suicide. Only 3.2 percent of the students said they received medical care for their attempt. The survey also found that 35 percent of Idaho high schoolers feel sad or hopeless, 21.7 percent said they were suicidal and 18.4 percent had made plans for suicide attempts. The danger with young people in particular, Bridges said, is that they can be impulsive and not think through their actions completely.

Bridges outlined some of the clues and warning signs to watch for, which she said can be direct or indirect.

“The more warning signs that are observed, the greater the risk,” Bridges said. “So we take all signs seriously.”

Some signs may include substance abuse or extreme anxiety and depression; they don’t see a reason to live, don’t see a purpose in life or they feel trapped with no way out, Bridges said. Some may withdraw from family and friends, express anger and irritability, or engage in high-risk behavior.

“Those two I think are very challenging because those two statements describe adolescence in general,” Bridges said. “So what you are looking for in particular is any radical change in behavior.”

More direct indications are when someone says they have decided to kill themselves, that they wish they were dead, Bridges said. Other indications could include statements such as, “My family would be better off without me,” or “Who cares if I’m dead.” These are just a few of the many signs, direct or indirect, that someone who is suicidal may exhibit.

“If you are wondering about someone’s safety at all, that means you need to ask the question,” Bridges said.

To ask the question is, in fact, the first step in the QPR process. If someone doesn’t feel comfortable asking a peer if they are considering suicide, they should find someone who can ask the question. There are different ways to ask, Bridges said, such as “Have you been unhappy lately?” or “Have you been so unhappy that you have been thinking about ending your life?” It should not be asked in a negative way, she said, such as “You wouldn’t do anything stupid would you?” Because to that person, it is not stupid at all, Bridges said.

“It may be that they thought about it very clearly, they thought about it methodically and so for them it seems like the best answer for the situation at that point in time,” Bridges said.

The second step in the training, persuade, comes after an affirmative to the question. This step begins with listening to the problem and giving the person your full attention, Bridges said. Suicide is not the problem, it is a solution that person is looking at to the problems they are facing in life, she said. Never rush to judgment and always offer hope, Bridges said. After listening, it is time to persuade them to seek help, and offer to go with them, she said. This leads to the final step of referring them to a resource where they can find the help they need.

“Since almost all efforts to persuade someone to live instead of attempt suicide will be met with agreement and relief, don’t hesitate to get involved or take the lead,” Bridges said. “... When you apply QPR, you plant the seeds of hope. And remember, hope is the biggest thing that we have that can help in these instances.”

Local resources for those in crisis include the North Idaho Crisis Center in Coeur d’Alene, 208-625-4884; and an after-hours hotline through a partnership between NAMI Far North and North Idaho Crisis Services. The after-hours line is available between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m., Monday through Friday, and 24 hours on weekends and holidays. Anyone suffering through a crisis during those hours can call 208-946-5595.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@Bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.