The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #48514

Kaia Gallagher, PhD¹, Ellen Susman, PhD², and Amie Staudenmaier, MEd¹. (1) Center for Research Strategies, 225 East 16th Avenue, Suite 1150, Denver, CO 80203, (303) 860-1705, kaia.gallagher@crsllc.org, (2) Department of Psychology, Metropolitan State College of Denver, P.O. Box 173362, Box 54, Denver, CO 80217

IDENTIFYING PREDICTORS OF HIGH SUICIDE DEATH RATES IN COLORADO

Following the Surgeon General’s call, attention is being focused across the country on ways to prevent suicide. Colorado, the state with the 12th highest suicide death rate, has embarked on a number of state-wide efforts including the formation of the Office of Suicide Prevention in the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and most recently, the completion of a comprehensive needs assessment process funded by The Colorado Trust. As part of this needs assessment, a county-level analysis was completed examining 10 years of suicide deaths to determine predictors of counties with high death rates. A multiple regression analysis was conducted in which the dependent variable was the population weighted age-adjusted mean suicide rate between 1991 and 2000. Among the independent variables entered into the regression equation, three were determined to be highly predictive: the weighted unemployment rate, the percent Hispanic (which had a protective effect) and the percent living alone. The R squared value was .501 with the weighted average unemployment rate being the strongest predictor variable. Mapping patterns of suicide among Colorado’s 63 counties revealed wide variations in the numbers and rates of suicide deaths. These results are now being disseminated to leaders throughout Colorado to encourage the development of locally-based suicide prevention plans that are responsive to local community circumstances.

Learning Objectives:

• Increase the effectiveness of suicide prevention efforts within local communities by providing information on community-level factors that increase the potential for suicide behavior
• Provide information on how secondary data bases can be used to identify areas at high risk for suicide

Keywords: Suicide, Community Health Planning

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.