Why is the Mountain West dubbed “The Suicide Belt?”

Depression, suicidal thoughts, and addiction are all worse at higher elevations. But why?
Is it because of less oxygen in the air?
In "Through the Clouds," Season 2, Episode 2 of Wyoming PBS' award-winning series, A State of Mind, we learn more about the connection between oxygen levels at elevation and mental health.
Recent studies at University of Wyoming (Dr. Carolyn Pepper and her ‘Stress and Mood Lab’) and Dr. Brent Kious, a psychiatrist and assistant professor with the University of Utah are among a group of researchers who think that the lack of oxygen at altitude is contributing to the crisis. Their work is shedding light on why mountain states have higher rates of depression. We’ll look at scientific research into why Wyoming has the highest suicide rate in the USA, featuring interviews with the leading scientists studying this phenomena.
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