Three Towns, One Crisis: The Mental Health Gap in Montana
Overlapping Tragedies
In the past two weeks, Montana has experienced several deeply heartbreaking tragedies.
On August 1st, a veteran who family report having suffered from PTSD since deployment took the lives of four individuals in Anaconda. On August 6th, a man died by suicide in Great Falls. Then on August 10, another life was lost to suicide outside the Bozeman Walmart.
These events have left people grieving, and communities struggling to make sense of what happened. The sudden and public nature of these deaths has rippled outward, affecting those who were witnesses and reigniting conversations about mental illness and suicide.
Facing Hard Truths: Suicide in Montana
It’s impossible to ignore that the threads connecting these tragedies are tied to a larger, ongoing crisis in our state.
For over forty years, Montana has had one of the highest rates of death by suicide per capita. Rural communities face mental healthcare shortages, or have no access to mental healthcare at all. For others, the cost of care or transportation requirements make care inaccessible. And for many Montanans, the fear of being judged keeps them silent.
This has to change. As we grapple with the pain of these recent events, it’s important to remember that when we talk about suicide prevention, we’re not just talking about emergency interventions or crisis hotlines. Suicide is not inevitable. It is preventable, but prevention requires awareness, connection, and access to care.
Understanding the scope of the problem in Montana helps us see where the gaps are and how we can work together to close them. It also reminds us that we can all play a role in supporting the mental wellbeing of our communities.
Taking Collective Action
There are steps we can all take, individually and across communities. Here are a few ways you can help shift the stigma that keeps people suffering in silence, and help build supportive and supported communities:
Check in with the people around you: Ask your friends, neighbors, and coworkers how they’re doing. Be open to real conversations and honest answers. Here are some ways you can support someone who is struggling with thoughts of suicide. If you are struggling, here are steps you can take to get the help you deserve.
Attend a suicide prevention training: Zero Suicide Alliance offers a free, 20-minute online course. They also offer a veteran-specific course.
Support organizations like Suffer Out Loud: Here are just a few ways we are fighting to reduce rates of death by suicide in Montana:
Our mental healthcare scholarship program, which has helped over 250 Montanans receive mental healthcare that they would otherwise not be able to access
Our work to connect people and communities, which has a significant impact on mental wellness, resilience, and readiness to ask for and receive help.
Remember: your efforts matter. Small acts like having a heartfelt conversation or helping someone find resources can make a life-changing difference.
You Are Not Alone
If you or a loved one is struggling as a result of these recent events, help is available.
Help Center, INC provides free, confidential walk-in crisis counseling, as well as a suicide loss grief support group and postvention support.
NAMI Montana provides education, advocacy, and support for individuals and families affected by mental illness across Montana.
AFSP offers multiple types of free, online support groups in English and Spanish
If you or a loved one are struggling right now, please know you are not alone. Free, confidential crisis counseling is available through these hotlines 24/7:
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Call or text 988
Montana Suicide Prevention Lifeline – Call 1-800-273-8255 or text “MT” to 741-741