Oregon youth suicides had uptick for first time since 2018 peak

Youth suicides, particularly among those of color, have gone up in Oregon, according to the most recent data collected in 2022 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In 2022, the most recent data to be finalized, there were 109 Oregon youths ages 24 and younger who died by suicide, the first year-to-year increase since 2018. The number of youth suicides in 2021 was 95.

Despite that increase, there were 16% fewer youth suicides in Oregon compared to a peak of 129 deaths in 2018. Experts, who are still finalizing data, also say 2023 should be a decrease.

That 2022 data places Oregon as the 12th-highest youth suicide rate in the country, and it remains the second-leading cause of death among the age group.

The annual report highlighted some advancements the state has made in the prevention of youth suicide. That includes the addition of 343 suicide prevention trainers, including 67 who are fluent in languages other than English.

There is also work through the Oregon Alliance to Prevent Suicide, which uses programming to support young people to find hope, help and strength. They also teach how to recognize warning signs of suicide.

“We have made some progress to create a system of suicide prevention that is better connected and better resourced,” said Ebony Clarke, Oregon Health Authority behavioral health director. “Yet, the tragedy of youth suicide remains. We need to do more, particularly for young people of color.”

The report shows stark racial disparities remain, both in Oregon and nationwide. Locally, deaths by suicide for youth identified as white decreased since that peak in 2018, but the numbers for youths of other races and ethnicities remained similar or increased.

In 2023-24 Oregon had several culturally-specific efforts:

Tribal prevention programs that includes “training-the-trainers” at low/no-cost.The Black Youth Suicide Prevention Coalition, which creates spaces for young people to gather and feel a sense of belonging.Oregon was one of eight states that participated in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Black Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative Policy Academy.The OHA spent $500,000 in funding to increase availability of suicide prevention trainings for those who are Latino/Spanish-speaking.The Culture & Suicide Prevention Institute worked with Oregon with trainings, policies and programming.

“Thanks to our community partners and leaders, we’ve recognized how important it is to also focus on the cultural strengths and wisdom that have been passed on for generations across communities,” said Alfonso Ramirez, interim director of OHA’s Equity & Inclusion Division. “As we do work in this way, we experience a bit of healing ourselves.”