A paradox in paradise: Ski towns see high rates of suicide, mental health challenges

DENVER — The image of Western ski towns as glamorous, fun-filled and carefree gets a reality check in a new documentary film focusing on disproportionally high suicide rates in Rocky Mountain states, sometimes described by mental health experts as the Suicide Belt.

Called “The Paradise Paradox,” the film explores how party culture, addiction, isolation, loneliness, the high cost of mountain living and inadequate public health resources in ski towns contribute to higher suicide rates. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, of the six states with the highest suicide rates in 2021, four were in the Rockies. Wyoming led the list with Montana ranked second, New Mexico fourth and Colorado sixth.

But the film also highlights efforts to improve mental health resources in Vail and the Eagle River Valley, where community organizations have rallied to address shortcomings. It also sheds light on efforts to combat the problem in Grand County, which includes Winter Park, and by Denver-based Alterra Mountain Co., which operates more than a dozen ski areas across the country including Winter Park and Steamboat. Alterra is the title sponsor of the film.

“Once we realized some of the statistics in these mountain regions, in the Rockies in particular with people calling it the Suicide Belt, it was like, if we do it right, this is something that can help people,” said Brett Rapkin, a filmmaker who spearheaded the project and co-directed the film. “That’s how it started. The problem seems to be everywhere.”

You need to be tough to make it up here

Rapkin previously explored mental health among Olympic athletes in an HBO documentary, “The Weight of Gold.” Former Olympic ski racer Bode Miller, a longtime friend of Rapkin who worked with him on “The Weight of Gold,”...