The suicide rate in Wisconsin is on the rise, according to statistics from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services that show a spike in 2007.
According to the DHS, the state's rate of suicide jumped from 11.9 per 100,000 people in 2006 to 12.8 in 2007.
DHS spokesperson Stephanie Marquis said before 2006 the suicide rate was holding relatively steady.
It's really difficult to ascertain what the underlying cause may be,"" Marquis said while emphasizing the many efforts to prevent and educate about suicide around the state, such as Helping Others Prevent and Educate about Suicide, a nonprofit organization based in Madison.
Pat Derer, president of HOPES, said increasing acceptance of suicide might be a factor in the rising statistic because people are now less likely to claim suicides as accidents to shield the family or protect the person's legacy.
""More and more people are actually admitting that the person did have a problem and that [the cause of death] was suicide,"" Derer said.
Derer said people do not reach out or know where to go to get the help they need because of a stigma around depression and mental illness, also adding the failing economy may be contributing to this statistic.
However, UW Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Jeffrey Anders said this increase might not be very meaningful.
""I'm not convinced that [the suicide rate] is substantially changing,"" Anders said.
Derer said suicide in Wisconsin occurs more frequently than it does nationally and is the second leading cause of death for young people ages 15-24 in the state.
However, Anders said even though suicide among college students is not rare, it is more common in older people.
Organizations like HOPES still believe educating people how to watch for signs of depression and on how to get help is the most important factor.
""Education is the number one thing that we can do in order to prevent suicide,"" Derer said.
