Below are links to Alaska’s main suicide-related data systems and recently published reports.
Note: The State of Alaska releases its official suicide numbers each fall for the previous year.
All rates are events per 100,000, adjusted by year 2000 U.S. population level.
Data from Alaska Health Analytics and Vital Records and U.S. CDC. The graph above shows that Alaska’s suicide mortality rates are much higher than US rates and have a slightly increasing trend line since 2014.
The morbidity data above is from the Division of Public Health, Syndromic Surveillance Epidemiology Section. Rates are per 1,000 emergency department visits and show a mostly flat trend line from 2020 to 2024.
The morbidity data above is from the Division of Public Health, Syndromic Surveillance Epidemiology Section. Rates are per 1,000 emergency department visits. The 11–14 year-old and 15-19 year-old age groups have the highest rates, but age group suicide attempt-related emergency department visit rates are influenced by the total number of all emergency department visits by age group.
Statewide Data Resources:
Data Dashboards: Data dashboards are navigable data visualization tools that are updated at regular intervals.
HAVRS maintains three data dashboards including the Alaska Discharge Dashboard, the Alaska Death Dashboard (Bridged Data), and the Alaska Death Dashboard (Single-Race Data).
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is a school-based survey of Alaska high school students. It is conducted every other year to collect information about the health of Alaska teens, including health risk behaviors that contribute to mental health crises and suicidal ideation. The Alaska YRBS dashboard allows users to examine the survey results including looking at results by school type, health variable, and at trends over time.
The BRFSS is an annual telephone survey that asks Alaska adults about their health, as well as behaviors that could affect their health. It includes questions about nutrition, physical activity, tobacco and alcohol use, and more. Organizations and groups across Alaska use BRFSS information in many ways, including to guide public health programs, support federal grants, and ensure effective use of limited public health resources. Data are weighted to estimate the statewide population prevalence. When the sample size is sufficient, data for smaller geographical areas are also made available.
The ACEDRC is a tool that provides data on ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and PCEs (Protective Childhood Experiences) in Alaska
Data Reports:
Division of Behavioral Health, Section of Prevention and Early Intervention Alaska Suicide Data Summary Report:
This report contains data summaries of suicide deaths (based on reports provided by HAVRS), suicide attempts (based on reports provided by Alaska Syndromic Surveillance), and the state’s crisis call center information (based on reports provided by Alaska Careline and Crisis Services). Updated quarterly.
For access to this report, email sheli.delaney@alaska.gov or eric.morrison@alaska.gov
Last update: October 2024
The Scorecard is a data measurement tool that examines the population health outcomes of Alaskans receiving care and services as described in Strengthening the System: Comprehensive Integrated Mental Health Program Plan 2020-2024 (Strengthening the System).
Data Platforms:
MCDR is a statutorily designated death review process that utilizes a panel of subject matter experts to conduct death reviews of pregnancy-associated, infant, and child deaths. The panel uses a systematic case review model to identify causes and contributing factors to the fatalities and to develop recommendations to prevent future deaths.
Alaska syndromic surveillance is a system that allows for rapid identification of possible outbreaks and problems, including spikes and clusters of suicides and/or suicide attempts in a community. Hospital emergency department visit data is automatically collected, sent to the analysis program, and processed for epidemiologists to review. Syndromic surveillance data about hospitalizations because of suicide attempts are included in our Alaska Suicide Data Summary Report.
AKVDRS is a state-based surveillance system that reconciles data from multiple sources to provide timely information about the circumstantial and environmental factors that contribute to violent deaths. (website is pretty out of date—should we include?)
HAVRS publishes statistical data on deaths by intentional self-harm (suicide) in Alaska in their Vital Statistics Annual Report each fall, as well as special reports about traumatic brain injury and drug overdose mortality and interactive dashboards.
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is a school-based survey of Alaska high school students. It is conducted every other year to collect information about the health of Alaska teens, including health risk behaviors that contribute to mental health crises and suicidal ideation.
State Plans:
This report is published every five years and includes specific approaches to meet goals for the state’s mental health care for nine priority areas, including Goal 5: Suicide Prevention.
“Messages of Hope” is a five-year plan to fulfill Alaska’s Statewide Suicide Prevention Council (SSPC) statutory duty to create a statewide suicide prevention plan (AS 44.29.305). This plan provides recommendations to inform statewide suicide prevention efforts at the State of Alaska. It also identifies ways Alaskans can help prevent suicide and offers resources and referral information on prevention, services, supports and crisis care.
Healthy Alaskans is Alaska’s statewide health improvement plan. The website includes Health Alaskan’s Scorecards, Interactive Data Trends, and Healthy Alaskans 2030 Health Objectives. Health objectives and priority health topics tracked by Healthy Alaskans include mental health, protective factors, and suicide prevention.
Regional Data Reports
National resources
CDC WONDER is a system for disseminating Public Health data and information.
National Council for Suicide Prevention
National coalition of eight leading nonprofits working to end suicide in the United States, including American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the American Association of Suicidology. The NCSP publishes data slides and data sheets with the most recent suicide statistics for the US.
The National Strategy seeks to prevent suicide risk in the first place; identify and support people with increased risk through treatment and crisis intervention; prevent reattempts; promote long-term recovery; and support survivors of suicide loss. The 2024 strategy is a 10-year, comprehensive, whole-of-society approach to suicide prevention that provides concrete recommendations for suicide prevention.
Interested in More Statistics?
Please contact:
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Statewide Suicide Prevention Council
Eric Morrison, Assistant
431 North Franklin Street, Suite 200
Juneau, Alaska 99801
Office: (907) 465-8920
Toll free: 1 (888) 464-8920
Fax: (907) 465-4410