State gets fed money for suicide studies

Stacy J. Willis

Monday, Sept. 10, 2001 | 10:55 a.m.

The University of Nevada School of Medicine Suicide Prevention Research Center received $1.2 million in federal money for three more years of suicide studies.

The center was created in 1998 as a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study the causes of suicide. Nevada has the highest suicide rate in the nation, with about 25 suicides per 100,000 residents, compared with a national average of about 12 per 100,000. More than 400 Nevadans committed suicide in 1999.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., announced the funding award Friday at a Senate hearing on teen suicide prevention in Washington. Reid, whose father committed suicide in 1972, sponsored a Senate resolution in 1997 proclaiming suicide prevention and mental health care to be national priorities.

The Suicide Prevention Research Center did not accomplish its goals in its first three years because of bureaucratic hang-ups, according to Dr. Thomas Shires, program director.

"Our progress is slow," Shires said. "The CDC was undergoing a lot of changes, and we were waiting for their permission to go ahead with certain parts of the research, such as interviewing friends and relatives (of suicide victims.)

"We hope to accomplish more in the next three years."

Although researchers have been able to compile death statistics -- that is, demographic information about people who have committed suicide -- they hope to compile data that would help identify suicidal behavior and design prevention programs.

"I believe suicide is preventable," Reid said in a telephone interview last week. "But we have a long way to go, in terms of research. The research center is key to that research. ...

"The suicide rate in Nevada will continue to be stable or go up until we learn more about it," Reid said.