SUICIDE IN WASHINGTON STATE

According to the Washington State Department of Health and the CDC, the state ranks 21st in the nation, with a rate of 16.9 suicides per 100,000 population, compared to the national rate of 14.0. (Montana ranked the highest in the nation at 28.9 per 100,000, and New York ranked the lowest at 8.1.)

In 2017, 1,297 Washingtonians died by suicide, compared to 1,123 in 2016. On average, one person dies by suicide every seven hours. More than seven times as many people died by suicide in 2017 than in alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents. Suicide in the state is the:

  • 8th leading cause of death
  • 2nd leading cause of death for ages 15–34
  • 3rd leading cause of death for ages 35–44
  • 4th leading cause of death for 45–54
  • 8th leading cause of death for 55–64
  • 16th leading cause of death for ages 65 and older
    (AFSP, 2020a; Hedegaard et al., 2018)

By gender: Suicide rates are higher for males than for females in all age groups. About 3 males die by suicide for every 1 female. From 2013 to 2017, 5,669 Washington residents died by suicide. Among those, 76.1% were male (4,313 suicides). From 2016 to 2017, suicides in Washington increased 20% in females and 14% in males.

By age: Suicides increased in all age groups, with the greatest percentage increases occurring in youth (10–24 years) and older adults (75 years and older). Youth ages 10 to 24 had a 27% increase in suicide from 2016 to 2017. Males 35 to 64 years of age accounted for 37% of all Washington suicides (2,095 suicides).

By race/ethnicity: In Washington, American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) have the highest suicide rate, followed by non-Hispanic whites. Whites had the highest number of suicides (4,721). Suicide rates for all races have increased in the last 10 years, with the greatest increases among AI/AN and non-Hispanic whites. Rates of suicide for whites increased 3.4% from 2016 to 2017.

By military service: In 2017, the Department of Veterans Affairs estimated a total of 560,000 veterans in Washington. From 2013 to 2017, 1,182 veterans died by suicide, accounting for 17.6% of all Washington suicides. Counties with the highest number of veteran suicides are King, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane, and Clark, which also have the highest number of total suicides. Of these, 5.8% of those who died were ages 55 to 74.

By methods: The leading methods of suicide in Washington were firearms (48%), suffocation (27%), and poisoning (17%). The leading methods of suicide in males were firearms (54%) and suffocation (26%), while in females they were poisoning (36%), firearms (28%), and suffocation (26%). Firearms were the most common method across all ages except for youth under 18. Almost 3 out of 4 adults ages 75 years and older who died by suicide used a firearm. Suffocation is the most common method for youth under 18 years old. Suicide by poisoning was more common with middle-aged adults than other age groups.

By county/geography: In Washington, the counties with the highest number of suicides were King, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane, and Clark, and, as it is nationally, suicide rates were higher outside urban areas. In Washington, the age-adjusted rate in small towns/isolated rural areas was 21.2 per 100,000 people. This was about 24% higher than the state rate. Rates in the various geographical locations were:

  • Urban core, 15.4
  • Suburban, 15.6
  • Large rural town, 17.5
  • Small town/isolated rural, 21.2

Self-inflicted hospitalizations: In 2016–2017, there were 7,425 hospitalizations in Washington due to self-inflicted injuries. Females accounted for 63% of hospitalizations, with females ages 15 to 24 accounting for 18% of hospitalizations (1,363). Hospitalizations for self-inflicted injuries have been decreasing in Washington since 2010. However, nationally and in Washington, hospitalizations for females ages 10 to 14 have been increasing. In 2016–2017, there were 373 hospitalizations for females ages 10 to 14 (84.6 per 100,000). Part of the latest increase may be due to improved coding.

(WADOH, 2019)