September is Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month, and the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services is highlighting the occasion by reminding the public of resources available in the state.
Melissa Markegard is suicide prevention administrator with HHS. She says according to state data, 142 residents died by suicide in 2023. That number is actually down from previous years – but Markegard says that number is still too high. Luckily, Markegard says North Dakota’s suicide prevention resources are easily accessible and being utilized by a lot of people, which she says is a good sign. One of those resources is 988, which is run by FirstLink in North Dakota. Residents can call or text, or chat online to get free support.
"Their numbers are going up, and we see that on a monthly basis, that calls are up, chatting is up, text messages are up, and that's great - I don't necessarily think that it's because mental health is getting that much worse right now. I actually think we're doing okay, as far as mental health goes. I think that 988 is so easy, and it's so user friendly, and that's why we're seeing an increase in calls and texts and chats - we're seeing people are learning about it and they're like, I need to call there, I need to chat with someone, I need to text with someone. And we have that resource now, so why not use it."
Additional resources are available on the HHS website.