It's an ongoing battle, but a worthwhile one - for the first time in a decade, Montana did not rank among the Top 3 states in the US when it comes to suicide rates.

Montana instead dropped to number 4 for 2018 - which may not seem like the biggest change, but that comes from years of mental health efforts and different organizations working tirelessly to bring it down.

NAMI director Matt Kuntz credits increased access to mental health care in Montana as a big part of this decrease - and his organization's goal is to get Montana out of the top 5 within five years.

However, work still needs to be done nationwide - while Montana decreased its suicide rate in 2018, the country as a whole actually increased, and in fact is the highest it's ever been since 1938 (right in the middle of the Great Depression).

Still, it's encouraging to see Montana make progress, and hopefully it will continue to do so over the coming years. If you ever struggle with suicidal thoughts, you can call the Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.

More From Alt 95.7