Suicide is the 12th leading cause of death nationwide, despite being preventable. While suicide rates have increased nationally over the past ten years, Vermont's suicide rate is higher than the national average.
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Vermont by the Numbers
In Vermont,
There are 2 to 3 DEATHS per week by suicide.
These deaths deeply impact families, communities, and the state as a whole.
Suicide and Self-Harm Mortality and Morbidity
Vermont averaged:
1,000 HOSPITAL VISITS for intentional self-harm a year
1,900 SUICIDE ATTEMPTS a year
4,900 ED VISITS for suicidal ideation and self-directed violence a year
In the past 15 years, Vermonters have consistently died by suicide at a higher rate than the national average.
Average Number of Deaths by Suicide
For every suicide death, there are many other people who think about or attempt suicide. Suicide prevention strategies seek to reduce risk factors and promote protective factors.
Here are some examples of protective factors for Vermont youth:
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Youth who feel like they matter in their community are significantly less likely to make a suicide plan.
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Youth who eat dinner at home with at least one family member most days of the week are 1.3 times less likely to make a suicide plan.
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Youth who have at least one adult to talk to in school are 23% less likely to have made a suicide plan.
Comprehensive Suicide Prevention
Comprehensive Suicide Prevention
The Vermont Department of Health and the Vermont Department of Mental Health aim to reduce suicide by 10% over the next five years.
The Vermont Department of Health received funding for five years for the Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Program (CSP) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
EXAMPLE Activity
Vermont implements and evaluates comprehensive public health approaches to suicide prevention for populations disproportionately affected by suicide.
The Vermont Department of Health and the Vermont Department of Mental Health aim to reduce suicide by 10% over the next five years.
The Vermont Department of Health received funding for five years for the Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Program (CSP) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
EXAMPLE Activity
Vermont implements and evaluates comprehensive public health approaches to suicide prevention for populations disproportionately affected by suicide.
Nick Nichols
Suicide Prevention Program Coordinator
“We can all play an important role in reducing the risk of suicide for fellow Vermonters…”
Listen to the full quote by pressing play below.
Comprehensive public health approaches to suicide prevention are multifaceted.
Some highlights of Vermont's approach include:
- Data collection and surveillance to identify communities experiencing higher rates of suicide deaths or emergency department visits for suicidal ideation, and targeting programs and awareness efforts to these locations.
- Supporting adoption of evidence-based suicide prevention practices in hospital emergency departments and other healthcare settings.
- Working with Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) programs to expand peer and other community supports for at-risk occupations like farmers, first responders, and construction.
- Campaigns to promote safe storage and counseling on access to lethal means, like firearms, for individuals at risk.
- Suicide awareness and support training for community organizations to identify and support at-risk individuals.
- An anti-sigma and public awareness campaign focused on increasing help-seeking and help-giving behaviors among all Vermonters: Facing Suicide VT launch
Nick Nichols
Suicide Prevention Program Coordinator
“Collaboration...helps amplify, expand, and better coordinate suicide prevention...”
Listen to the full quote by pressing play below.
The Vermont CSP program is partnering with the Vermont Program for Quality in Healthcare, the Department of Mental Health, and the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Care Systems to include suicide prevention best practices in Vermont's emergency departments.
- Emergency Department Suicide Prevention Project — Suicide prevention best practices will be promoted in Vermont's emergency departments (EDs) through improved screening, safety planning to reduce access to lethal means, and follow-up care for individuals at risk for suicide.
- All 14 of Vermont's EDs have participated in the project and completed quality improvement plans to improve suicide prevention practices.
- Over 200 ED staff have been trained in Counseling on Access to Lethal Means in 2022.
Hillary Wolfley
Associate Director,
Vermont Program for Quality in Health Care
“Our partnership … through the CDC-Suicide Prevention funding has enabled our organization…”
Listen to the full quote by pressing play below.
Because of CDC funding, the Vermont Department of Health has utilized its experience mapping COVID-19 cases to inform the CSP program.
- Throughout the pandemic, there has been significant interest in understanding surges in COVID-19 at a local level. The Vermont Department of Health developed a process to analyze local surveillance data to determine locations that had a experienced recent surges.
- Thanks to this experience, the Department of Health can now share death data with only an eight week lag rather than the previous 1-2 year lag. The Department of Health has also developed a hot spot analysis to determine towns with a high burden of suicide morbidity and mortality.
- This helps the program identify regions and areas of the state that may benefit from more suicide prevention programming, enabling more targeted and strategic use of resources.
Suicide Awareness and Support Training
Vermont's CSP program has collaborated with the Center for Health and Learning and the Vermont Suicide Prevention Center to provide new resources that empower individuals and organizations to identify and support people who may be experiencing suicidal thoughts.
Training and consultation through the campaign teaches participants to:
- Recognize suicidality warning signs.
- Respond to emergency situations with empathy and care.
- Help people experiencing suicidality find resources and access mental health support.
- Talk about safe storage and access to lethal means.
- Assess, identify, and adopt policies, procedures, and competencies to improve organizational responses to suicidal thoughts or suicidality.
- Create plans for sustainable suicide prevention and awareness.
Alison Krompf
Deputy Commissioner,
Department of Mental Health and Co-Principal Investigator for the Grant
“The Facing Suicide campaign lifts the voices of survivors.”
Listen to the full quote by pressing play below.
Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)
Vermont's CSP program is partnering with the state's largest EAP provider, Invest EAP., to work with employers to promote suicide prevention resources. The program is providing tailored resources and support to:
- Rural and farming communities through the Farm First Program, the first agricultural EAP in the nation.
- First responders like law enforcement, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, firefighters, and others who often experience first- and second-hand trauma through the course of their work.
- Individuals working in the construction industry.
Vermont's CSP program is also:
Piloting Man Therapy, an interactive campaign for adult men designed to dispel stigmas around mental healthcare, in the two counties with the highest rates of suicide deaths in the state.
Partnering with alcohol and substance use programs to cooperate on suicide prevention and overdose prevention initiatives.
Collaborating with companies and organizations in the construction field to improve suicide prevention and awareness programs. This collaboration is the direct result of data analysis done by CSP that showed higher rates of suicidal thoughts and suicide deaths among construction workers.
Alison Krompf
Deputy Commissioner,
Department of Mental Health and Co-Principal Investigator for the Grant
“… we need the help of community members and other professionals to recognize and support individuals who are struggling…”
Listen to the full quote by pressing play below.
The COVID-19 Pandemic
The Vermont Department of Health has faced difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Emergency departments (EDs) across the country have been overwhelmed during the pandemic, which has made direct engagement more complicated.
Emergency care visits in 2020 in Vermont for suicidal ideation and/or self-harm were similar to previous years, despite an approximate 15% drop in general visits to EDs. This drop was likely due to hesitancy around potential COVID-19 exposures.
Comprehensive suicide prevention approaches require integrated collaboration between stakeholders, organizations, and agencies across the board. Creating and sustaining these partnerships, particularly during a global pandemic, has been a challenge for the Vermont Department of Health.
Vermont Governor Phil Scott
“This grant will help ensure Vermonters who are struggling have access to the resources they need to help them through their challenges."
Moving Forward
The Vermont CSP program will build on its early successes to expand its reach and impact, including:
- expansion of the FacingSuicideVT.org launch website as a statewide suicide prevention resource
- increased promotion of lethal means safe storage and education among community organizations and the public
- expansion of suicide prevention strategies within healthcare, including primary care settings
- enhancing health surveillance and data linkages to improve the analysis of suicide-related data to inform targeted suicide prevention programming
The 988 Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress.
Call or text 988,
or chat online at 988lifeline.org