Living high in the mountains, complete with its idyllic views and slow pace of life, may not be as good as it sounds.
Scientists have discovered that living in high altitude areas may raise the risk of depression.
And those living there may be nearly four times more likely to commit suicide, according to a review of medical literature.
University of Utah researchers believe the worrying results could be the result of low atmospheric pressure.
This leads to much lower levels of oxygen in the blood, known medically as chronic hypobaric hypoxia.
Evidence on animals already suggests this can alter the effects of the ‘feel-good’ chemical serotonin, believed to play a role in depression.
The team of scientists reviewed 12 studies to make their conclusion about the potential dangers of living in the mountains.
The highest suicide rates were clustered in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.
The eight states have the highest average altitudes across the country, ranging from 3,400 feet in Montana to 6,800 feet in Colorado.
One study analysed as part of the review showed that 17.7 adults per 100,000 living at high altitude commit suicide.
In contrast, just 4.8 out of every 100,000 done so in regions with low altitude.
While a separate trial showed the percentage of adults with ‘serious thoughts of suicide’ was affected by altitude.
In Connecticut, where the average altitude is 490 feet, 3.3 per cent stated they had such negative thoughts.
But in Utah, which has an average altitude of 6,100 feet, just less than 5 per cent admitted suicidal tendencies.
Other studies showed high altitudes had higher suicide rates – but lower rates of death from all causes.
And they suggested a ‘threshold’ effect, as they revealed rates increased dramatically from above 2,000 feet.
Researchers led by Dr Michael Kious even found suicide rates were more strongly linked to altitude than owning a gun.
The results, which suggest that boosting blood oxygen combat suicide rates, were reported in the Harvard Review of Psychiatry.
Dr Kious said that the study was conducted to determine why there was such a stark divide in suicide rates across the US.
