Recent Suicide Prevention Trends: What Have We Been Learning?

The presenters will present recent trends in Vermont suicide and related data. Special populations that will be described include youth, LGBTQ+, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, females and older adults.

This workshop will share data from a variety of sources to help tell a story about the scope and impact of self-harm and suicide in Vermont. Special populations that will be focused on include older adults, females, persons who identify as LGBTQ+, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, men in middle age, veterans, and youth. Surveillance findings from the weekly suicide report and the potential impact of COVID-19 on these trends will be discussed.

Research around firearms access and intentional self-poisoning will be summarized, and links between recent trends and the development of possible prevention strategies will be explored. Limitations related to data availability, collection, and reporting that may affect our ability to learn about at- risk populations will be described.

Discussion topics will include different ways people and programs can apply data about suicide trends in the work they do, and how suicide data can be used for public education, advocacy, and decision making.