Suicide rates in Oklahoma, Tulsa among highest in the U.S.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) – Oklahoma's suicide rate is 37 percent higher than the national rate, yet the state ranks near the bottom in spending for mental health services.

The Tulsa World reports (http://bit.ly/2bnkdgv ) that nationally, there are 12.6 suicides per 100,000 people each year. Oklahoma ranks 13th in the country with a rate of 17.2 per 100,000. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Tulsa's suicide rate of 16.8 per 100,000 ranks it 15th among U.S. cities.

Mental Health America says Oklahoma ranks 50th in the nation in adults who suffer from some form of mental illness and 47th in adults with thoughts of suicide. The state also ranks 46th in spending on mental health services at $53 per person annually compared to the national average of $120 per person a year.