Indicator 18: Suicide
Rationale: Suicide is an important public health indicator because it is a leading cause of premature death in Minnesota, and because it demonstrates the seriousness of mental health problems, including depression.
About this indicator: After declining between 1990 and 2000, the suicide rate has risen during the 2000s. The 2007 rate was 11.0 per 100,000 population.
Suicide rate per 100,000
| Year | Data |
|---|---|
| Suicide rate per 100,000, Minnesota Department of Health | |
| 2000 | 8.9 |
| 2001 | 9.5 |
| 2002 | 9.9 |
| 2003 | 9.8 |
| 2004 | 10.3 |
| 2005 | 10.6 |
| 2006 | 10.7 |
| 2007 | 11.0 |
For comparison: Mental Health America reports that Minnesota had the 13th-lowest age-adjusted suicide rate in 2004.
Things to think about: The number of Minnesotans who die from suicide is nearly five times as high as the number who die from homicide. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for Minnesotans ages 15 to 34. Persons ages 50 to 64 had the highest rate of suicide.
Sources:
- Minnesota Center for Health Statistics, http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/chs/annsum/index.htm
- Minnesota Center for Health Statistics, “Suicide Trends in Minnesota,” http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/cfh/connect/index.cfm?do=suicideprevention.suicidetrend
- Mental Health America, http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/state-ranking
Related 2002 Milestones indicator:
Local data:
Milestones is a product of the Minnesota State Demographic Center, a division of the Department of Administration