Kent Conrad

Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., gathered national experts on Capitol Hill for a Tuesday conference on mental and behavioral health issues and the need to do more to prevent suicides in American Indian communities.

“Despite years of prevention efforts, all too many tribal communities still struggle with keeping members from taking their own lives,” he said in a written statement.

Conrad co-sponsored the briefing with the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Indian Health Board. The meeting focused on mental and behavioral health issues among American Indian youth, including substance abuse, depression and suicide.

The event was moderated by Bismarck pediatrician Sara Jumping Eagle.

American Indian youth have the highest rate of suicide of any population group in the U.S., and their suicide rate between ages 15 and 24 is 3.5 times higher than their peers of other races.

Former Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., held hearings last year on the mental health of American Indian youth following a string of suicides on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. Conrad, a senior member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, has since become a leader in the effort to prevent suicide in these communities.

Conrad is a senior member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. He encouraged people in need of assistance to contact their local crisis centers by calling 800-273-8255.