Data

Introduction
This section offers an overview of data related to suicide.
It also includes a report on 2018-2019 data from Washington’s 
colleges and universities statewide, including community and
technical colleges.

About Suicide

The Centers for Disease Control and National Institute of Mental Health are the sources for this information.

  • Suicide rates have risen nationally and in almost every state, including Washington, over the last twenty years.
  • Asking about suicide will not increase risk.
  • Most individuals who attempt suicide will live out their natural life.
  • Many people think about suicide, without ever acting on their thoughts.

Suicide Data, age-adjusted rates

National – 2018

Overall suicide rate – 14.2 per 100,000

The CDC estimates one suicide occurs for every 25 suicide attempts

College student suicide estimate
1,500 annually for a population of 20 million students; or 7.5 per 100,000
(Drum et al, 2009; Silverman et al, 1997)

College is believed to confer protective factors that help decrease higher education students’ suicide rates in comparison to their non-college age peers.
(Drum et al, 2009, Silverman et al, 1997)

Washington State Data – 2018

Overall suicide rate – 15.9 per 100,000

18-24 years oldRate per 100,000
Overall19.4
Males27.9
Females10.3
25-34 years oldRate per 100,000
Overall16.3
Males24.8
Females7.1

More data is available on the Forefront Suicide Prevention website.

Report on 2018-19 data from colleges & universities in Washington

Included are recommendations for long-term improvements to behavioral health support and suicide prevention. 

A combination of public and private funding would more than likely be needed to make these changes.

Read the Report Here

In 2018, the Washington legislature passed Senate Bill 6514, which created an annual data collection initiative for higher education institutions. The data collection focuses on the promotion of student behavioral health, student suicides, suicide attempts, related metrics, and other supports made available by institutions.

 

The 2019 Data Collection Report was submitted to the legislature in December 2019. Included were several recommendations for long-term improvement to behavioral health support and suicide prevention in the state’s colleges and universities. There are far-reaching issues involved in these recommendations, including work force needs, enhanced education for counselors who work with suicidal students, and more.The report also found areas in which institutions are exceeding expectations, particularly in programming to support students in ways that promote positive mental health.

 

The data collected from each institution has been aggregated and de-identified. Data is presented only by educational sector: four-year public colleges and universities; four-year private, non-profit colleges and universities; and two-year public community and technical colleges. Additionally, the 2019 survey went out to career colleges and trade schools. Unfortunately, the response was minimal and offered no useable data.

 

Forefront Suicide Prevention, based at the University of Washington, was named lead agency to implement the survey and analyze the data, with guidance from the INSPIRE workgroup. A sub-group, including representatives from several institutions, helped with creation of the initial survey.

Particular caution was taken with analyzing sensitive data, including careful efforts to validate numbers, and thoughtful discussion about how to present data.

 

The 2020 survey was scaled back significantly, due to the heavy coronavirus-related workload on institutions in recent months. The 2020 report will be sent to the legislature by Dec. 1, 2020. Annual surveys are expected to continue through 2021-22.

For questions regarding the 2020 survey, please contact Ambyr Travis, altravis@uw.edu.

 

The 2019 survey by the Healthy Minds Study involved 79 colleges and universities, with more than 62,000 students responding. The HMS is conducted by the University of Michigan.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all measures are ‘past year’ statistics.

  • Depression (including major & moderate levels) – 36%
  • Major depression – 18%
  • Anxiety disorder – 31%
  • Non-suicidal self-injury – 24%
  • Suicidal ideation – 14%
  • Made a suicide plan – 6%
  • Attempted suicide – 2%
  • Lifetime diagnoses of mental disorders – 37%
  • Psychiatric medication 24%
  • Mental health counseling – 30%
  • Any mental health counseling and/or psychiatric medication among students with positive depression or anxiety screens 56%

 

Thirteen Washington campuses that have participated in the Jed Cohort received HMS study in their first year, 2017, and will receive their second and final HMS data in 2021.