Figure 3: Self-Report Suicide Ideation, King County

Figure 1: Suicide Death and Hospitalization Rates, King County

Figure 2: Age- and Gender-Specific Suicide Rates

Figures:  
• Figure 3: Self-Report Suicide Ideation, King County  – 
• Figure 1: Suicide Death and Hospitalization Rates, King County  – 
• Figure 2: Age- and Gender-Specific Suicide Rates

Data Discussion

The Indicator Defined

Number of suicides per 100,000 in population.

Data Interpretation/Evaluation

Suicide death rate decreased between 1999 and 2007 from 12.5 per 100,000 people in down to 10.9 per 100,000.  Between 2003 and 2007, rates held about even. 
From 1990 to 2003, hospitalization rates for physical harm from attempted suicides declined. However, this data does not include hospitalization admissions to psychiatric hospitals for attempted suicides.  The decline may be due to the increasing likelihood of referrals from hospital emergency rooms to psychiatric hospitals, and to health system changes implemented in the 1990s providing alternatives to psychiatric hospitalization.

The rate of suicide in King County is not uniform. In 2007, the City of Seattle area has the highest rate of suicide deaths in King County, with 12.2 deaths per 100,000 populations.  
Suicide rate in Seattle declined to about 10 per 100,000 between2000-2003.  Between 2003 and 2007, the suicide rate in Seattle increased.  In 2007, suicide rates in Southern King County were 11.1 per 100,000.  This rate is relatively unchanged since 1998.  In Northern King County, the suicide rate is 10.1 is per 100,000.  The suicide rate in Northern King County increased between 2004 and 2007.  The suicide rate in Eastern King County held relatively steady at  about 10.0 per 100,000. 

In 2007 the rate of suicide was highest among Caucasians at 11.9, followed by American Indians at 9.7 per 100,000. The rate of suicide is lower among minority population but has been increasing since 20000 among African-American and Hispanic/Latino communities.

Suicide deaths tend to be higher in high-poverty neighborhoods.  Low poverty is defined as less than 5% of the population living below federal poverty levels. Medium is between 5-19% and high is more than 20% of the population lives below the federal poverty level. In 1998, the suicide rates among high and medium poverty neighborhoods were about the same.  Between 2000 and 2007, the suicide rate in high poverty neighborhoods increased to about 13.8 per 100,000. In medium poverty neighborhoods, suicide rates averaged 11.7 per 100,000 between 2003 -2007. During the same period, low poverty neighborhoods saw suicide rates at 9.7 per 100,000.

Hospital admissions for suicide attempts are more common among young adults (18-24 years) and females, while suicides deaths are greatest for males and those 45 and older. Hospitalizations for suicide attempts are 13 times more common than death by suicide for ages 10 to 17. As age increases, suicide “completion” rates (suicide attempt leads to death) gradually increase.  After age 18 to 24, suicide hospitalizations decrease. This is likely due to greater “success” in suicides by older age groups

Data Source and Limitations

Data was compiled by Sustainable Seattle from the Health of King County 2007 report.
http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/data/chi2009/HealthOutcomesSuicideDeaths.aspx
http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/data/chi2009/HealthOutcomesSuicideHospitalizations.aspx

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