Healthcare professionals work to decrease suicide deaths through prevention

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control, spring brings a slight increase in suicide deaths in Michigan and nationwide.

Pat Smith, a Violence Prevention Program coordinator with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, said there were 25 Otsego County residents who died by suicide between 2010 and 2014.

"It's really a community issue and I think getting the community more open to talking about suicide prevention is a huge step because then people start to ask about well ?What can we do?' and ?Who are the people we need to get involved?'" Smith said.

Web of impact

The number of men who die by suicide far outnumbers the suicide rates of women at the county, state and national level.

Smith said 18 of the 25 deaths in Otsego County were men and of the 18 men who died by suicide all but one of the suicides was from a firearm.

"That is one thing that I noticed just over the five year period, 68 percent of the suicides of Otsego County residents were by firearm," Smith said. "And just looking at one year for the state, in 2013 52 percent of the deaths statewide were by firearm so there were a higher proportion of deaths in Otsego County by firearm suicide deaths than statewide."

While she said increases during the spring are small, the impacts from any suicide are felt in the community.

Smith said for every one person who dies by suicide, 25 others attempt suicide. But she said recent research looked at the branching impacts of suicide and the effects on others.

"It is their family members, it is their friends it is just other community members. And (researchers) actually came up with the figure that if you look at all levels of impact that for every person who dies by suicide up to 115 people are impacted by that death," Smith said. "One death can truly impact a very large portion of a community at some level."

Smith is also the director of a grant program where she is working with others on preventing youth suicide and said nationwide people are working to increase awareness on how to help people who have thoughts of suicide and train people known as gatekeepers.

"Gatekeepers are anybody that could potentially come in contact with someone who's in crisis and who might be suicidal," Smith said.

She said there are different levels of gatekeepers like general community members, first responders, clergy or counselors.

Gatekeepers can be friends, family, first responders or others who come in contact with someone thinking about suicide.

"We're going to be working with human services to train all child welfare workers in the state for example in gatekeeper training," Smith said.

She said communities can apply with DHHS for underwriting assistance of a two-day gatekeeper training program or a one-day mental health professional training program called assessing and managing suicide risk.

Age

Smith said the number of deaths from suicide are increasing for middle-aged men.

"What's being seen in Michigan and actually across the country over the last few years is deaths are going down in youth, deaths are going down in older adults - but they're increasing significantly in working age adult men," Smith said.

She said working age adult men have been the most difficult demographic to reach and professionals at the state and national level are now looking at how to bring rates down.

"This is a population that doesn't even go to their physician, so how do you get them to get mental health services?" Smith said.

She said looking at the data for working age men, more of those men are dealing with substance abuse and many are living in isolation after divorce - both of which are risk factors for suicide.

"If we really want to have an impact on the overall suicide rates - which for Michigan have just mirrored the national rate for years now and are going up - if we really want to have an impact on it we have to bring down the numbers of deaths in working age adult men," Smith said.

Risk factors and warning signs

Risk factors for suicide also include untreated depression and adverse childhood experiences such as abuse, parental divorce or parental incarceration.

"I always have said to people one of the first things I learned in suicide prevention was ?Child maltreatment prevention is suicide prevention' and they're finding out that's very true," Smith said.

According to data from the American Association of Suicdology, suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth between the ages of 15 to 24 while accidents are listed as the leading cause of death.

Warning signs include severe mood swings, talking about unbearable pain or feeling trapped, talking about feeling hopeless or withdrawing and isolation.

Smith said to ask friends or family members if they are planning suicide.

"It's really been proven that asking somebody if they're thinking about killing themselves does not lead to suicide," Smith said. "It's actually really important to ask and for many people it saves their lives because they're relieved that somebody's paying attention to them and that somebody cares enough to ask."

The National Suicide Helpline number is (800) 273-8255.

CDC Fatal Injury Mapping data

According to CDC death rate data, from 2004 to 2010 Michigan had a rate of 11.57 suicides.

The Fatal Injury Mapping data from 2004 to 2010 showed a distinct difference for men and women who died by suicide. And for men and women from different counties, the rates also differed.

Otsego County was higher than the state average at 14.57 for men and women combined.

2014 American Association of Suicdology data

According to current and past data from the American Association of Suicdology, Michigan has consistently seen increases in rates of suicide in the last four years going from a rate of: 12.4 in 2011 to 13.7 in 2014.

Rates are typically per 100,000 people.

The state went from lower rates of suicide and better national rankings five years ago to ranking worse nationally and having a higher rate.

In 2014 Michigan jumped by 7 spots and ranked 31st nationally with 1,354 deaths, the highest rate the state had seen in the last four years of data.

Michigan had 133 more people die by suicide in 2014 compared to four years prior.

Montana had the highest rates while New York was the state that had the lowest rates in 2014. Prior to 2014 Wyoming typically had the highest rates and New Jersey had the lowest rates from 2011 through 2013.

Suicide Rates By County and sex from 2004-2010

Highest Counties for Men

1. Arenac 45.24

2. Manistee 33.34

3. Wexford 31.77

4. Roscommon 30.84

5. Dickinson 29.36

Highest Counties for Women

1. Grand Traverse 8.25

2. Jackson 5.96

3. Calhoun 5.88

4. Muskegon 5.57

5. Kalamazoo 5.56

Lowest Counties (with data) for Men

1.Ottawa 11.68

2. Lenawee 12.90

3. Washtenaw 13.38

4. Ingham 13.68

5. Isabella 14.17

Lowest Counties (with data) for Women

1. Ottawa 3.57

2. Wayne 3.70

3. Washtenaw 3.71

4. Kent 4.08

5. Oakland 4.45

Rates are determined per 100,000 population

Source: American Association of Suicidology