High-Altitude Suicide Risks

An association has been found between living at higher altitudes and higher county rates of suicide. The average altitude in 50 counties with the highest suicide rates was 4,684 feet, and the average altitude in 50 counties with the lowest suicide rates was 582 feet. When researchers controlled for variables such as being male, being white, and lower household income, the link between altitude and suicide was still evident. The study authors took the Mountain Region of the U.S. (which includes Colorado) out of the equation, since that area is linked with higher suicide rates. But the association between altitude and suicide still remained.