ALEXANDRIA — Records show that the Alexandria Police Department was called for six suicide attempts and 29 suicide threats in 2024.

According to a report released by the Minnesota Department of Health in 2023, 815 Minnesotans died by suicide, which was down from the historic number of 860 in 2022.

Initial reports seem to indicate another decrease, said Lydia Nash, health educator with Horizon Public Health, which serves the counties of Douglas, Grant, Pope, Stevens and Traverse.

"We tend to generally see higher rates of suicide in rural Minnesota, so hopefully we'll get exact numbers soon," Nash said. "From the data we can see, there are higher suicide rates in younger people from about 15 to 25, 30, and then older, so 50-plus."

Nash also pointed to a 2022 Minnesota student survey that has data relating to the youth of Douglas County.

The data says that for eighth-graders, 78% said they have never engaged in self-harm, but 22% had, with 4.7% of those stating they had tried self-harm more than 20 times.

Additionally, 23.1% of the approximately 260 eighth-graders who were asked reported that they had seriously considered suicide.

The same study showed that 2/9% of Douglas County 11th-graders had tried self-harm 20 or more times, and 14.8% had seriously considered attempting suicide.

Further, more than a cumulative 10% reported actually attempting suicide in the past year or more than a year ago.

There are a lot of factors influencing mental health — particularly social media for young people.

"It's really hard when you're seeing things on social media," Nash said. "You're being influenced. We can see a mental health and suicide correlation."

But there are other factors, as well.

"Anything from relationships, racism or inequality, substance use, the environment you're in are going to impact your mental health," Nash said. "Peer pressure, academic pressure — kids just feel like the homework never ends. There's so much on their plates, and what we hear all the time is we need more coping strategies and skills."

Coping skills are very important for someone who is feeling like engaging in self-harm or suicidal behavior, Nash said.

"Are there things you can do?" she said. "Can you take a walk? Read a book? Can you go work out? Play an instrument, listen to music? Things like that that just bring you joy have made such a big impact on people who are experiencing stress. So, any way that you can try and just build those coping skills and mechanisms."

The most important thing people can do is perhaps the easiest.

"The number-one thing is always to talk," Nash said.

One option in this respect is the 988 Lifeline System, which offers free mental health support.

Another option is the Region 4 Crisis Hotline, 701-364-0431.

"If you yourself aren't experiencing any distress, you can still text or call for someone you're worried about, and they'll also help with conversation starters," Nash said.

If you have a mental health-related emergency, dial 911, she added.