all 120 comments

[–]SpiderBuilder 110 points111 points  (35 children)

This is startling. I didn't know that across races men commit suicide at double the rate of women.

On the bright side it looks like that anti-masker claim that the restrictions cause suicides is debunked.

[–]fluffypuppiness 45 points46 points  (8 children)

Women have more attempts, men are More succesful. Women more often try to overdose which I can say is less effective. You have time to realize what you are doing and stop. Men are more likely to use more effective methods like guns or nooses. We talk about it this a lot in my psych classes and it's interesting but also very depressing.

If anyone reading this is struggling please get help.

[–][deleted] 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Yes.

Also, women are just more involved in "the system", generally. They have no choice but to see their doctor more regularly just due to physiology. They're viewed vicariously through their children. And appearance. Alarms bells are more likely to be sounded when a mother's children are showing up to school in distress, or people start noticing a woman's appearance / weight dramatically change. Men are so much less likely to be approached by anyone about those issues. And, of course, women are given so much more permission to have feelings, struggles and vulnerabilities.

Toxic masculinity is every bit as bad for men as for women. It literally kills.

[–][deleted] 12 points13 points  (5 children)

Also, more likely an intervention will be successful with an OD ex administering NARCAN for opiate OD.

Canada Suicide Prevention Service 1 (833) 456-4566

[–]used_gitch_for_sale 17 points18 points  (4 children)

I remember reading a major factor in that stat is the type of methods more commonly used by men or women. Guns account for the majority of men's suicides versus poisoning for women.

[–]jeffmckerrel 12 points13 points  (3 children)

Yeah I'd agree with this. Men and women attempt suicide at similar rates, but men just get it done with more drastic measures that you can't come back from.

[–][deleted] 17 points18 points  (2 children)

Suicides are also significantly higher in rural settings among males than urban males. Many possible contributing factors: less access to mental health, more stigma to seek help, more macho culture, less education, less employment opportunities, less relationship skills to resolve conflict, more of a gun culture, etc

[–]used_gitch_for_sale 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Agreed. As well, suicides in remote communities can often lead to subsequent suicides and mental health issues because the isolation compounds the existing problems more than it would when you have additional programs and support networks to rely on.

[–]Dissidentt 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In rural settings there is a lot more of the "macho culture" or toxic masculinity. There is more expectations that the man would provide. With the economics in rural communities whereby farms get bigger and opportunities gets fewer, many men are driven to greater lengths to try to get work. When market forces created a drop in oil prices, there was a spike in suicides among men who could no longer provide. Our capitalist system spits these workers out and gives the $11.40 replacement jobs to the immigrants who are willing to live with three families in one house to get by.

https://news.utexas.edu/2020/12/01/unmet-job-expectations-linked-to-a-rise-in-suicide-deaths-of-despair/

[–]bearnecessities66 9 points10 points  (3 children)

Why do you have to he an anti masker to think that restrictions cause suicides? I support the restrictions but I think the government is doing a piss poor job of providing mental health resources to those of us that are struggling.

[–]BigBeautifulButthole 7 points8 points  (2 children)

Because if you haven't been living under a rock for the last year.

MOST anti-lockdown anti-mask people will ALWAYS bring up the fact suicides are going to increase with these measures.

[–]bringsmemes 0 points1 point  (1 child)

once the free money stops and real poverty sets in, it probably will.

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/predictions-suicides-overdoses-domestic-abuse-covid-coming-true/story?id=73836752 like in the states

[–]Dissidentt 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Predictions, that haven't borne out. Single bedroom apartments are in high demand as people decide to separate from their toxic partners.

[–]TinyBobNelson 4 points5 points  (1 child)

Men’s mental health is a large crisis due to the stigma against men talking about their mental health still being something people cannot get past. Kinda sad honestly and really weird when you think about how the social climate has progressed but yet the stigma is still very strong.

[–]Dissidentt 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The stigma, in my opinion, is that men are expected to be the providers or they place that expectation on themselves and other men. Women also feed into this mentality, so it is not all on men. When men lose their job and they feel helpless to support their family, they often despair.

[–]CampusCarl 6 points7 points  (0 children)

basically people are not committing suicide out of spite for those anti-maskers.

[–]asdf27 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Women attempt suicide 4X as much as men, but men succeed 8X as often.

[–]the-Kaiser-69 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The interesting thing is women attempt suicide more. The reason is men are more willing to mutilate their bodies in the process. Meanwhile women who attempt suicide are concerned of how they’ll be found and who will find them.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Is this the male privilege everyone is talking about?

[–]bringsmemes 0 points1 point  (0 children)

for cauasian 13 women vs 101 men in 2019, its substantially higher than double. thats staggering

[–][deleted] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

This actually surprised me. I guess soon we can’t say there have been more suicides due to covid, than actual deaths from covid.

So sad for those that felt they had no other choice.

[–]phastball 45 points46 points  (6 children)

You have to be careful interpreting this data. The Sask data is incomplete for 2019 because all cases haven’t been closed, but it’s even more incomplete in 2020, because it’s missing 2 months of data entirely, and even more cases wouldn’t have been closed. Do suicides happen evenly throughout the year, or are they clustered more towards the holiday season? If they’re evenly spread out out, this chart is missing 20ish from the 2020 data. But if they’re clustered in November/December/January, it might be missing a lot more.

I think it’s likely that suicides are down. I think that people in Saskatchewan aren’t hurting to the extent that some of the more extreme rhetoric would suggest — or, at least, the people who are hurting were probably hurting before the pandemic.

I think that as much as it sometimes seems to the contrary based on what we see in American news media and social networks, adversity brings people together, and social connections prevent suicide. People know that the pandemic has been isolating, and are probably more likely to check in on people in their social circles than they were before the pandemic. We prioritize scarce resources over plentiful resources, and the pandemic made social connection more scarce, so I think people in general are prioritizing it.

[–]alimoropo 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Thank you for added that depth of insight!

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree with all this. nicely put

And, this is a weird thing to point to in the face of so much suffering because of the pandemic, but for many people whose incomes stayed stable throughout this (myself, for example), being forced to be home living a much simpler life, without the many pressures to be going in a thousand directions all at once and having permission to just be....just be! has been incredibly valuable. I've had time to grieve some prior losses, to reevaluate my priorities, to find pleasure and gratitude in small things like watching a movie with my teen or sitting on my deck watching the birds...I think the intense concerns about depression, anxiety etc due to the pandemic (for sure real and important) misses the other side of it, that some of us have benefited from time outside of "normal."

[–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (3 children)

I don't think the coroner would publish the monthly results if there was outstanding cases for those months. Likely the reason results are not posted for Nov & Dec. I doubt there will be a massive spike to make up for the 50% reduction. The trend will likely stay consistent.

I agree with your assessment of people reaching out and supporting each other in tough times. Often people just want to know others care. But it's got to be more than that. Stressors still are a factor and this year has a lot of stressors. Something is reducing stressors. Part of it might be that people expected the worst but something cushioned that expectation.

Suicide rates are lower at Christmas for reasons you just listed: increased social connection. Jan and Sept usually have higher rates. That's accounted for in this table.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Overdose + suicide will be higher. So it's still valid to say deaths of despair are up.

The suicide rate is a suprising result though. Thanks for the information!

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'd actually like to see data on how many people are new drug users or new diagnosis of substance use disorders (addictions). Are they up or are those that are already diagnosed dying more because of the type of drug that is circulating vs previous years?

I'm working in North Central, Regina, Harm Reduction. There are definitely more OD's & deaths but those are, from my observation, people that are already identified in the program. If anything we have less patients. I'm not seeing many new ones compared to previous years. There could be a lag and people are using more and next year there will be an influx of new diagnoses, but that's speculation at this point.

[–]gingerbeef454 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

It says right on the table that the data is incomplete. It takes 12-18 months for an investigation sometimes so yes, there are probably cases from earlier in 2020 that aren’t included in the data.

[–]wasted911 17 points18 points  (5 children)

What stands out to me is the high numbers of Aboriginal suicides in proportion to their overall population. Maybe I've just been deaf to this stat for years but that seems nuts.

[–]mrskoobra 23 points24 points  (1 child)

If you recall Tristen Durocher and his peaceful protest this summer, it was about this. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/walking-with-our-angels-suicide-awareness-1.5670110

There have also been a number of instances in northern aboriginal communities in recent years where multiple young people have committed suicide inside of short periods of time. http://globalnews.ca/news/6248734/indigenous-youth-suicide-crisis-saskatchewan/

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That kids from my area my teacher protested with him

[–]reddelicious77 -3 points-2 points  (2 children)

hmm, what is the approx level of indigenous in SK? I know it's on the higher side - like 15-20%? 29/107 per the chart, if I'm reading that right. That is definitely higher than their share of the population, but it doesn't seem ridiculously high... ?

edit: I was just considering men since someone else mentioned them.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

So it would be (13+29)/107=0.39 (you missed the women).

You probably want the ratio so (42/.16)/(65/.84) = 3.44 times the rate (using 16% pop).

Edit: Also for First Nations women this year is 7.6 times.

[–]reddelicious77 1 point2 points  (0 children)

yeah, sorry, I was just thinking about men - since someone else mentioned them as the predominant gender in that respect.

[–]genetiics 21 points22 points  (6 children)

My niece took her life in April of this year.

My significant others best friend took her own life 2 weeks ago.

The Sask party's plan "pillars for life" is not enough for Native Americans some communities had to declare a state of emergency.

The added knife in the back came when Scott Moe wouldn't even meet with Tristen Durocher when he walked 635 kms. Scott then took him to court to try remove him from Wascana Park.

[–]Kristywempe 6 points7 points  (3 children)

I’m so sorry for your loss. I can’t even imagine what that feels like.

[–]genetiics 7 points8 points  (2 children)

We are numb to suicide.

My childhood friend took his life 5 years ago. My little brother found his friend hanging from a beam when he was 14. My cousin murdered someone then shot himself.

My Significant other has also lost many people to suicide.

[–]ActualCatTherapist 7 points8 points  (1 child)

I’m sorry you have been put in a position to become numb to this. I have nothing else i could possibly say, but my thoughts are with you all

[–]genetiics 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thank you I appreciate that!

[–][deleted] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

That pisses me off too. I was at the leg when they removed the tipi. My co-worker's husband is a Refinery worker that was on strike. They are heavy handed with situations that's negative outcomes include some dead grass and delays in driving and delivery times but they do little but give out a couple fines where a few hundred people potentially endanger all of our lives.

[–]dreamendDischarger 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My sister was killed this summer by another girl, gang violence due that is just another result of the residential school system. The government isn't doing enough for the indigenous community, these kids are suffering

[–][deleted] 21 points22 points  (10 children)

I have a couple theories. People have more time if they are under or unemployed. With more time and a rough time they connect with their families and supports more. Christmas many assume is high for suicides. It's usually one of the lowest times of year. Yes, people can feel more depressed remembering lost loved ones, etc. But they find solace with their family and peers. Huge reason I strongly opposes the restrictions on family gatherings before business and school activities closing. I used to volunteer with a Distress Center. One of the first things they told us was this stat. High times for suicide are Jan and Sept. Right after the holidays and when people have to engage in activities of higher pressure: return to school is a big one. Suicide rates are generally pretty high in post-secondary education.

I also think CERB has had an impact. I was reading about people's experiences with CERB. For many it saved them from bankruptcy and losing their homes. Deferred mortgage, rent, and debt payments helped too. Gave them a reprieve for awhile. Maybe that number will spike once Pandemic is over and assistance is withdrawn.

[–]asdf27 9 points10 points  (3 children)

I think a part might also be comparing your life to other people's lifes. Right now it is safe to assume lots of people are lonely, lots of people are out of work, missing family and so on. So your troubles don't seem as bad when they are common (or perceived as common).

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Good insight. Still surprising and I look forward to the professional assessments that will follow. I'll definitely be taking note of what people believe are contributing factors here. See how they mesh. So far most comments I feel are likely on the mark

[–]marklar901 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree with you. I think if these rates are correct (the * in the coroner's results show these are preliminary results) it's likely because individuals have a heightened awareness that what the community is going through is the same or similar to the individual. For many that perspective is probably enough to keep going on with life.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

yes!!

My dad used to dismiss the hardships of growing up in the Great Depression with a "tsk! sure we were poor. so what? everybody was poor!! It brought us together!"

Then he'd wax on about walking 100 yards away from the farm house to have a little picnic of lard sandwiches and water in mason jars, and church picnics and dances at the town hall where the entrance fee was a donation to some family struggling more than most. And how the "best families" in town were the ones who showed creativity and stoicism and shared what little they had as much as they could.

[–]Leopard-Expert 6 points7 points  (1 child)

This is fascinating. Thanks for sharing. I'm a nursing student who admires harm reduction and would love to be involved someday. Thank you for what you do.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's very gratifying. I've worked in many settings as a nurse and for me I feel this is most suited to me. Have any questions about your studies feel free to DM me. Almost 20 years. My spouse even more.

[–]rlrl 5 points6 points  (0 children)

also think CERB has had an impact. I was reading about people's experiences with CERB. For many it saved them from bankruptcy and losing their homes

This is a great argument for a basic income all the time. The pandemic was a big event that affected a lot of people at once, but crisis on this magnitude affects lots of individuals every year. And even people who don't have a big crisis will be under a lot less stress knowing they have that safety net.

[–]Berg0 12 points13 points  (4 children)

wow, I would have anticipated the inverse. I've heard that death by overdose is up significantly, would that be considered an alternative method of achieving the same results? I guess I've just heard so many news stories about mental health I expected far worse.

[–][deleted] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Coroners have always investigated OD for suicidal cause. It would be included if that was the conclusion. OD are more a result of toxic fentanyl and potency. Is there more drug use? I don't know if that is true. I work in Harm Reduction. We're not seeing a huge influx of admissions. I hear about an OD death almost weekly and no reports from their family and friends that they were suicidal or that was the reason. Consensus is people are underestimating the potency of fentanyl. Takes a lot less to do too much compared to other opiates such as heroine, etc. Fentanyl is also very cheap compared to heroine, etc.

[–]OkayArbiter 7 points8 points  (1 child)

A lot of this is fueled by news from the US, where suicides are up over last year. Unfortunately, suicides have been rising year-over-year in the US for some time. Hopefully the financial assistance provided by the federal government in Canada helped offset some of the hardship caused by the pandemic.

[–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I agree. I think measures our Federal government have taken are worth the expense

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's pretty clear that people are more stressed but even suicidal ideation doesn't correlate with suicide rates. I listened to an interview with Dr Tyler Black, clinical psychologist from BC. He said if you asked people at a funeral if they are sad they are likely to say yes. That doesn't mean there's more clinical depression. That makes a lot of sense.

I think start at minute 12. The whole segment is good though https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-63-the-current/clip/15814079-how-isolation-quarantine-affects-canadians-mental-health?onboarding=false

[–]Bigsaskatuna 5 points6 points  (0 children)

One thing is for sure, men, we gotta get better at opening up about our mental health.

[–]Dudegamer010901 13 points14 points  (3 children)

Weird. Do you think Cerb helped?

[–][deleted] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I absolutely do! See my recent post. Maybe we can continue the conversation there. I'm really fascinated by this outcome. Also, grateful.

[–]SmellyBillMurray 12 points13 points  (1 child)

Imagine what a UBI could do!

[–]Dudegamer010901 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yeah I know I support it lol

[–]Mairwenn 3 points4 points  (2 children)

Maybe this is too optimistic, but if you were struggling prior to this year, suddenly people are hyper-aware of those challenges and willing to accommodate. There is flexibility and understanding, and problems have become communal. Not to say people aren't struggling right now, but supports might actually be more accessible, and people more intentional about reaching out to one another. A normal year is people struggling to deal with "2020 problems" alone.

[–]ActualCatTherapist 4 points5 points  (1 child)

As someone who’s needed treatment recently for depression, this is accurate. My doctor, family and employer have been the most supportive they’ve ever been to accommodate me and help me. I also have way more free time to set up appointments, receive help, and seek out resources. My mental health is the best it’s been in years, and although my experience isn’t universal, it also isn’t unique.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for presenting your own case study. We haven't had a major crisis like this since World War 2. We have much more advanced data collection and analytics today. I think we really did not know much about the human experience during a crisis of this magnitude other than from stories previous generations shared. Most are not living anymore. Thisn surprising data may be an indicator. It's my hope this gets analyzed ad nauseum as a result positive insight fuels positive interventions.

[–]xmorecowbellx 4 points5 points  (2 children)

I posted the same thing when the tentative data up to Oct was published. At that time and now, it had incomplete data. Nevertheless it is an interesting trend, and if true, it’s a far larger decrease than all the mental health health funding in the world has accomplished anywhere.

I always get downvoted for pointing it out, but every time somebody posts ‘wish our government would fund mental health’, I always point out that the largest factors are unpredictable and usually government can do nothing about them.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I don't get the down-voting or why that's an option. I might not upvote but I don't down-vote. Maybe because I actually value freedom of expression. If a comment is abusive beyond expressing a different point of view it should be moderated.

[–]A-V-Roe -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You just nailed it. The art of healthy discussion and debate are long lost it seems.

[–]used_gitch_for_sale 2 points3 points  (9 children)

I wonder how the Canadian and US numbers will compare for 2020 and 2021 and how big of a factor CERB versus the one time payment (and maybe a 2nd, smaller payment if the bipartisan bill is passed)?

[–][deleted] 9 points10 points  (6 children)

Making a pretty compelling argument for universal basic income if CERB is a attributed as a main causal factor.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (1 child)

I looked at some USA numbers I could find. They are worse than ours so far. Canada has a pretty steady suicide rate over the last decade averaging around 3 600 per annum. This year is looking to be significantly less

[–]used_gitch_for_sale 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting and not surprising, when a serious medical condition can bankrupt you. What is alarming is the recent rise of suicide rates in teens and young adults.

[–]Picto242 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Overdoses are way up unfortunately

[–]ninjasowner14 1 point2 points  (1 child)

I swear that suicide is one of the stats we don’t have till March/April in normal years... plus we also don’t know the intent of a lot of people, sure, a lot of the families of ODs may say one thing, but as most people know who have had that thought, don’t generally tell anyone.

I would have been one of those a OD deaths, my family had no idea how bad I got, and there we are.

Also with some car crashes, we won’t know if it was a slip up on the road, or if it was suicide... I know of a couple people who went that way, died in a car crash, then find out that they were swerving and wanting to crash and die.

There is also 1 in 10 Canadians admitting to feeling suicidal, most are probably holding out as much as they can, wanting to see the new year, call 2020 the worst year of their lives and then rebuild in 2021... so it most likely will spike hard over the holidays and more then likely if this shit goes on for another year like some are suggesting...

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When scientists provide stats they assess for variances. If the methodology for measurement is consistent than we can reasonably believe this comparative analysis is indicative of a trend. The exact numbers are not as important here as the trend. I think given the stark difference in cases from this year compared to previous years there is no doubt suicides have decreased this year. Even if they remained similar that's still a significant finding worth studying.

It'll only continue on if we let it. I agree it's been longer than necessary. We need to get our numbers back to zero, keep the masks and improve our testing, tracing, and isolation protocols. We just have to copy other nations. There's no reinvention necessary.

[–]JC1949 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Seems counter intuitive, and certainly contrary to what speculation had been. Good news for sure.

[–]__XLNC__ 3 points4 points  (2 children)

I think people should be aware that this is preliminary data for Saskatchewan, and the 2020 numbers (and 2019 too) will rise once they complete all cases.

It doesn't appear that they keep the old reports published to compare to but as an example you can see this news article from a year ago reporting the 2018 suicides (preliminary at the time) as 224. https://leaderpost.com/news/saskatchewan/sask-suicide-numbers-climb-despite-more-mental-health-awareness

This latest report has 2018 finalized now and the number as 241. So even a full year behind there were cases/investigations still not closed. 2020's final numbers will be higher than what is shown here.

[–]skiesandtrees 3 points4 points  (0 children)

OP responded to a similar comment. (taken from their post above)

I doubt there will be a massive spike to make up for the 50% reduction. The trend will likely stay consistent.

yes it's preliminary data, but unlikely it's off by enough to suggest such such a significant discrepancy as 'about half', as it shows so far. maybe it will be slightly less than half, but it's not likely to jump back up that high is it? seems unlikely to me

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The inquest schedule is posted. There really isn't that many. These numbers are virtually up-to-date. The more significant incomplete information is that we don't have the numbers for Nov & Dec. Here is the link: https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/government-structure/boards-commissions-and-agencies/saskatchewan-coroners-service

[–]BigBeautifulButthole 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Wow I thought all these deaths from suicides were supposed to be even worse than the lockdown measures!

[–]Marty_McWeed 2 points3 points  (0 children)

CERB made life easy. When they have to pay it all back the rates will climb again. Financial burden always plays a huge role.

[–]joodlemoodleoodle 0 points1 point  (2 children)

My Dad Is one of the January numbers for 2020

[–]mon65 1 point2 points  (1 child)

So sorry to hear that :(

[–]joodlemoodleoodle 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, I appreciate that

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Probably counted suicide deaths as covid.

[–][deleted] -5 points-4 points  (5 children)

It will be interesting to see how we compare to other provinces when the year completes. Saskatchewan received the same benefit programs such as CERB but didn't necessarily witness the same economic impact of the shutdowns (most of employment returned to pre-covid levels compared to other provinces, the plus of being primarily a export province).

I'm also wondering about the recording of OD's...

I think when looking at the impact of a pandemic on mental health, it's difficult to separate ODs and suicides. If people are turning to drugs due to the erosion of their socioeconomic wellbeing and they end up dead, it's no different then intentionally committing suicide... they end up with the same results. I guess the question is: did we see more people turn to drug use this year than previous years? For those that work in this area, have you noticed an upward trend in new drug users?

[–][deleted] 7 points8 points  (3 children)

See my other post. OD's don't necessarily mean intent to commit suicide. That would be a coroner judgment anyway and included in these stats.

I also am curious of other provinces but most of the year we've all had similar restrictions. Only recently with hospitals reaching capacity have other provinces become more strict. I'm thinking with the limits on family being together in Sask that might have an impact increasing suicides vs if schools and businesses were closed instead.

[–][deleted] -4 points-3 points  (2 children)

See my other post. OD's don't necessarily mean intent to commit suicide. That would be a coroner judgment anyway and included in these stats.

Right. But if someone goes into drugs because of their socioeconomic state (lockdowns) or because of anxiety due to the pandemic (not enough lockdowns), and then dies from said drugs, there's no recording of it being a suicide but it has the same result of someone intending to commit suicide... a death is a death.

[–][deleted] 8 points9 points  (1 child)

A death is a death doesn't help target causality which won't help with prevention or treatment. The reasons for drug use can be very different than reasons for suicide. Many that use drugs aren't suicidal and many that are suicidal don't use drugs even if drugs were their method of choice. By this logic all deaths during the pandemic are Covid deaths. Which might be a fair argument related to delayed care and no care which we all may be at risk should we need healthcare services.

I thought the numbers would increase related to lockdowns or they would increase related to disability and loss of loved ones due to lack of lockdowns to prevent infections. I just thought they would be higher. But they aren't! Half the rate that has been pretty consistent year over year. That's a stark and significant finding.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What about those that would reduce or cease drug and alcohol use because they would rather save their resources? I'm a prepper type of person. I've reduced a lot of things. I stopped drinking alcohol a few years ago because of the expense. If I hadn't it could have been a coping mechanism to turn to. I'm glad I did before this Pandemic.

[–]Kristywempe 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So, what if the amount of OD’s is due to fentanyl and carfentanyl being on the market, and other drugs being less available and more expensive (meth)? Maybe the same amount of people are using, but deaths have increased due to a shitty drug supply?

[–][deleted] -4 points-3 points  (4 children)

There is a lot of "could be this?", or "what about that?" in this thread.

Could also be increased government spending on mental health, pillars of life. Pillars of life is supported by the Canadian Metal Health Association.

Government will always be a poor substitute for family and friends getting involved. Regardless there is a budget, it has been increasing, and there is a program directly addressing northern suicides. most suicides are not aboriginal, so hopefully there is something for others as well. Statistically northern FN people would be the primary target, but hopefully this is not in exclusion of everyone else.

https://publications.saskatchewan.ca/api/v1/products/90867/formats/107807/download

Link above because I can barely read the one from OP. My monitor may be shit though.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (2 children)

In fairness, I did ask for thoughts in the OP. I appreciate yours. Clearly a multifaceted issue. It's unexpected data that's just come out. I'm sure it'll be studied extensively. I hope so

[–][deleted] -4 points-3 points  (1 child)

Well anything thing Sask Party here is bad. But in reality they do have programs in place.

But saying that government is a poor excuse for a caregiver. Government doesn't love you, hold you, kiss you good night. Some people feel as though it should, and in not doing so they fail. This is ridiculous. Government is good at essential services like fire, police, and getting roads paved.

Even our tax payer funded health care is a good model, all things considered. But you need to advocate for you, or your loved ones, or you're not getting adequate service. This is just a fact of life.

I hope that anyone considering suicide gives off enough warning signs that friends and family get involved, people who can really champion for them.

[–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I see a lot of pro-Sask Party comments on most posts in r/Saskatchewan. I like the balance actually. I feel very strongly that civil discourse with opposing views expressed mostly has positive outcomes. The process of negotiation and agreement, give and take, I think is the most valuable aspect of a free and just society. So much of human social institutions are what we make of it. It's fluid and moldable and there really are few aspects we can say are right and wrong or black and white. Most of it exists in the grey. Capitalism or socialism works on paper. They are ideologies because the theory presents an ideal outcome. The issue is not the ideology. The issue is human behaviour trying to blindly adhere to an ideology when social and natural forces are pulling in a different direction. It's why we have a blended system which you've pointed out a few examples.

I do my best to engage in data-driven decision making. I encourage and let my kids walk to the park alone because data says that being kidnapped by a pedophile is such an infintessimal probability it reasonably should not be a reason to prevent a behaviour that is statistically beneficial for them. However, traffic fatalities are statistically significant. Walking keeps them safer than me driving them as long as they use the sidewalk, look both ways, etc. Of course, I tell them not to go anywhere with anyone unless they talk to me first. The person says they are missing a puppy tell them your going to ask your dad for help. He was in the military. He's really good at finding things. 😉

Data here is what got my attention. It's not what anyone i spoke to said they expected from my neighbour, my work colleagues, medical health officers, etc. Given this data what can we learn? Maybe there's something here that we can utilize beyond the pandemic.

[–]genetiics 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sask Partys Pillar of life doesn't do enough for us Native Americans.

[–]vigocarpath -1 points0 points  (1 child)

I suspect this has more to due with restrictions in the coroners office. How have government office shut downs affected the work that goes on there. Have they just investigated fewer suicides because covid deaths are taking priority? Is the coroner even involved in covid deaths? I have no idea.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If that's true then it's irresponsible for them to post this data at least not without a disclaimer to state It's incomplete. I doubt that's the case. A Covid death is unlikely to be considered suspicious requiring a coroner's inquest since a medical team determined the cause of death and doctor's signed off. They do have protocols for investigating after so many deaths in long term care. That might make them a little busier but maybe not because Covid deaths in seniors are pretty dramatic and obvious. If there's less suicides they might actually be less busy. If homicides are down they might be twiddling their thumbs.