Suicide Deaths on the rise

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in Missouri, with an estimated 11-hundred-51 people dying by suicide in 2017. In Laclede County the rate of suicide has nearly doubled in the last decade. Laclede County Coroner Steve Murrell said there has been a growing trend of older people committing suicide…

According to the American Foundation for Suicide prevention there is no single cause to suicide. It most often occurs when stressors exceed current coping abilities of someone suffering from a mental health condition. There are several stressors that could lead to suicide including loss of a loved one, financial crisis, divorce or other relationship matters. The most important thing to remember is, if a person talks about having no reason to live, feeling hopeless or talk about killing themselves, it should be taken seriously. In 2019, in Laclede County, 6 deaths have been caused by suicide.