Wisconsin's suicide numbers have reached historically high levels for the 2nd year in a row
2021 and 2022 have been some of the deadliest years for suicide numbers in Wisconsin in at least two decades, and it's the first time the state has seen such high numbers two years in a row.
This rise in deaths by suicide is a grim trend across the nation. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide deaths have increased by about 36% between 2000 and 2021, with more than 48,000 people in the U.S. taking their lives and another 1.7 million attempting suicide in 2021.
That's part of why the CDC is funding 24 jurisdictions, including Wisconsin, through its comprehensive suicide prevention program, with the goal of reducing the nation's suicide numbers by 20% by 2025. On Wednesday, Gov. Tony Evers announced that his office and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services were joining the effort to reduce suicide among two at-risk populations by 10% over the next five years.
Those at-risk populations in Wisconsin — rural men over 25 years old and adolescents between 10 and 19 years old — require very different strategies, which the Wisconsin branch of Mental Health America has helped identify and implement.
“I declared 2023 the Year of Mental Health because we cannot overstate the profound impact the past few years have had on our kids, families, and communities, and we know that Wisconsinites across our state are struggling perhaps now more than ever,” Evers said in Wednesday's press release. "It’s so important that we raise awareness and continue talking about this important issue so that folks know they are not alone and that help and support are available."
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What do the numbers tell us?
In 2021, 905 Wisconsinites died by suicide and it's estimated that 912 people died by suicide in 2022, based on preliminary data from DHS. As in every year since 2004, suicide deaths by firearm made up the majority of lethal means, by more than half in both 2021 and 2022.
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Christine Niemuth, the behavioral health section manager within the division of public health at DHS, said rural men 25 and older "carry the most burden of suicide," a result of social isolation, financial stress and job loss, among other factors. In 2021, nearly 200 rural men in Wisconsin died by suicide, two-thirds of whom used firearms as their method. A quarter of the state's rural men who died by suicide had military experience.
And Wisconsin adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19, Niemuth said, are self-harming at an alarming rate, which can be seen as a risk factor for suicide. In 2021, 1,340 girls between the ages of 10 and 19 visited the emergency department across the state for self-harm-related injuries, with or without suicidal intent. Almost two-thirds of the girls who showed up at hospitals for self-harm in Wisconsin used drugs — whether prescription, legal or illegal — as a method of self-harm.
Black and Indigenous girls in Wisconsin are increasingly self-harming themselves at disproportionate rates.
“These numbers show too many of our fellow Wisconsinites are in pain, and we must call attention to available suicide prevention resources,” said DHS Secretary Kirsten Johnson in the Wednesday press release.
How much money is the state getting?
Over the course of five years, the state will receive $4.3 million, which breaks down to about $680,000 per year, according to Paula Tran, administrator for the division of public health within DHS and state health officer.
All told, the CDC is dedicating about $21 million per year across its 24 jurisdictions. That's a small price to pay if you consider that, in 2020, suicide and suicide attempts cost the U.S. more than $500 billion, according to the CDC.
Where is the money going?
Because a majority of suicides are the result of access to firearms, some of the CDC funding will go toward the Gun Shop Project, a suicide prevention strategy that focuses on educating firearm retailers and range owners. Part of that education is helping retailers and range owners recognize a suicidal customer or else a customer in crisis and provide safe options for them.
Niemuth said funding will go toward posters, brochures and tipsheets on proper handling and storage of firearms.
So far, nearly 40 gun shops across Wisconsin are participating in the effort.
A similar program getting CDC funding, called Counseling on Access to Lethal Means, or CALM, is a program often implemented at hospitals and emergency departments when people either have attempted suicide or present with suicidal ideation. The program puts time and distance between at-risk individuals and common lethal means of suicide, particularly firearms, through training.
When approaching the needs of young people, Sources of Strength is another funded program that puts suicide prevention education into schools, providing peer-based support, healthy coping skills and a sense of belonging.
And Strengthening Families, also being funded, works to connect families and children on best practices for parenting and coping skills.
How will state agencies be monitoring suicide numbers?
When it became clear that COVID-19 would spread to the United States, many people got used to checking dashboards on infection rates in their area. Similarly, Niemuth said, DHS is working on dashboards for public consumption that look at two crucial numbers: suicide and self-harm numbers.
DHS will work with the Wisconsin Violent Death Reporting System, which takes information from coroners and medical examiners, to extract information about the circumstances of violent deaths related to suicide.
Niemuth said sharing this information with partners will enable them to do their own local planning on suicide prevention efforts.
These dashboards will be available in the coming years, Niemuth said.
"Because of the complexity of suicide, it presents a lot of opportunities for lots of different kinds of partners and people and agencies to be involved," Tran said. "They can't do this work just as the state health department, and it can't just come from the state. There's need for local investments and leadership."
How can I support someone who's suicidal or in crisis?
According to #Bethe1To, a campaign created by the 988 Suicide and Crisis Line, anyone can take the following five action steps for communicating to someone who is suicidal or in crisis:
Asking the question, “Are you thinking about suicide?” communicates an openness to speak about suicide in a supportive way that is, importantly, nonjudgmental.
Be there. You may be physically present for someone, or call them on the phone, or else show support in other ways for the person at risk. Your role here is to listen and learn what the individual is going through.
Keep them safe. If a suicidal person has access to highly lethal items like firearms or prescription drugs, it's important to find a way to reduce that person's access. This may not be easy to do, but asking if the person has a plan and removing or disabling the lethal means can make a difference. If they plan to take action immediately, call 911.
Help them connect. Connecting someone with thoughts of suicide to ongoing supports can create a safety net for those times they find themselves in crisis. Supports could look like a family member, friend, spiritual adviser or mental health professional.
Follow-up. After your initial contact with a person experiencing suicidal thoughts, in which you're also connecting them with resources and other supportive means, make sure to follow up with them to see how they’re doing.
Anyone in need of support can call, text, or chat the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at all hours of the day or night to talk with a trained counselor about any challenge or concern. It's free and confidential.Natalie Eilbert covers mental health issues for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. She welcomes story tips and feedback. You can reach her at neilbert@gannett.com or view her Twitter profile at @natalie_eilbert. If you or someone you know is dealing with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or text "Hopeline" to the National Crisis Text Line at 741-741.
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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Gov. Tony Evers plans to reduce suicide numbers by 10% over 5 years
