Dickinson-Iron County Critical Health Indicators

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Suicides                                                                                           

What Is It?

Suicide is death caused by purposely self-inflicted injuries. Deaths are classified as suicide even if the person did not intend the injuries to result in death. Almost all people who kill themselves have a diagnosable mental or substance abuse disorder or both, and the majority have depressive illness. The most promising way to prevent suicide and suicidal behavior is through the early recognition and treatment of depression and other psychiatric illnesses.

How are Dickinson and Iron Counties doing?

An average of 8 suicide deaths a year occurred between 1998 and 2000 in Dickinson and Iron counties. Suicides are the fifth leading cause of death in Dickinson and Iron Counties and the fourth leading cause of YPLL (Years of Potential Life Lost) in 1997 with 280 years of potential life lost in the counties.

Suicide Deaths and Death Rates
Dickinson County Residents, 1995-2000

Suicide Deaths and Death Rates
Iron County Residents, 1995-2000

How is the State of Michigan doing?

Suicide is the tenth leading cause of all deaths in Michigan and the fifth leading cause of Years of Potential Life Lost (YPLL) for people below the age of 75.

In 2000, suicides accounted for 975 deaths in Michigan. The age-adjusted rate for suicide was 9.9 per 100,000 population. The rate of death from suicide in Michigan has declined 14 percent during the past 10 years.

Related Link:  Age-adjusted and Age-specific Suicide Mortality Rates by Race and Sex, Michigan Residents, 1989-1998.

How do Dickinson and Iron Counties compare with Michigan and the U.S.?

Michigan's 1997 age-adjusted suicide rate of 9.5 was lower than the U.S. rate of 10.6. Suicide was the eighth leading cause of all deaths in the U.S. and the fourth leading cause of years of potential life lost (YPLL) in 1997. Dickinson and Iron County rates are statistically higher than state or national averages at 20.6.

Related Link:  Age-Adjusted Suicide Death Rates by Race and Sex, Michigan and United States Residents, 1980-1998.

How are different populations affected?

The suicide rate for children in the U.S. was two times higher than the combined rate for the 25 other most industrialized countries from 1990 to 1995.

Suicide was the third leading cause of death in Michigan for ages 15-34. While suicide is a leading cause of death for 15-34 year-olds, the suicide rates are highest for those 75 years and older.

In 1998, whites in Michigan were almost twice as likely (9.6) as African-Americans (5.7) to commit suicide. Michigan men were over five times more likely to commit suicide than women (15.6 and 3.0, respectively). In Dickinson and Iron Counties, suicides are highest among the 25-74 age population group.

What other information is important to know?

Most people who are depressed do not kill themselves, although suicide is considered a possible complication of depressive illness in combination with other risk factors, such as:

• one or more other diagnosable mental or substance abuse problem(s);

• brain chemical imbalance;

• lack of impulse control;

• adverse life events;

• family history of mental illness, substance abuse disorder, or suicide;

• family violence, including physical or sexual abuse;

• prior suicide attempt;

• firearm in the home;

• incarceration; and

• exposure to the suicidal behavior of others.

What are the Michigan Department of Community Health and the Communities of the Dickinson-Iron District Health Department doing to affect this indicator?

The Michigan Department of Community Health responds directly to persons who are of potential danger to themselves as a result of mental illness by providing psychiatric inpatient care at four adult and one child and adolescent psychiatric hospitals. Community Mental Health Service Programs (CMHSP), through contracts with the department, offer services such as psychiatric inpatient care, hospital-based crisis observation care, intensive crisis residential and stabilization services, and assertive community treatment. CMHSPs offer wrap around services to minors with serious emotional disturbances or serious mental illness and their families. These services include treatment services and personal support services to maintain the child in the home. Over 1,169 children and their families were served in 1998. In addition, 49 respite services programs served 4,682 children and their families providing short-term intermittent care and supervision to children and adolescents. Currently underway are five grants specifically targeted to the prevention of suicide in the older adult population. All CMHSP continue to provide and expand their services to persons with serious mental illness who reside in county jails, detention facilities, or are under court supervision and parole. For information on this program in Dickinson County call Northpointe Behavioral Healthcare System at (906)774-0522.

The DIDHD has also been a leader in our two counties for the past five years in addressing youth related health issues that impact the 40 developmental youth assets in the Search Institute model which promotes Healthier Communities. This model simply works on the principle that developmental assets (building blocks of life) provide youth with the skills to avoid risky behaviors including suicide ideation. This department and partner agencies/schools tested 3,000 6-12th grade students and found that our youth possess only 17.6 of the 40 necessary assets to avoid risky behaviors. Search research tells us that youth need 31-40 assets. DIDHD through the Dickinson-Iron Healthy Youth Coalition and funding dollars from the Michigan Abstinence Partnership co-facilitates community programs to develop assets. The department will assist in the testing of all 6-12th grade students in 2002 to measure our progress over the last five year. Particular attention will be given to scores on self-esteem, problem solving, and setting future plans.

Another program that is designed to give youth in high school another resource to promote problem solution and deter suicide ideation is the peer education program in both counties. In this program, 35-40 youth are trained each year to be peer advocates. Youth are given 40 hours of intensive health issue training in the hope that other youth will communicate with the peer educators their thoughts and problems. The base theory being that youth will communicate with other youth long before they will approach parents or other adults. Youth expressing thoughts or concerns of self-harm are given, through caring communication, a variety of professional referral options from other youth. Other factual health information on a variety of topics, that can sometimes lead youth to feel hopeless, are readily disseminated by the peer educators and to plug the troubled youth into appropriate counseling an/or services.