Mental Health America is a partner of Prevention Suicide Wisconsin (PSW). To visit the PSW website, click here.

This website provides information about community suicide prevention coalitions throughout the state, news, statistics and an events calendar. 

Click here for Prevent Suicide Greater Milwaukee (PSGM):

 

Suicide Prevention

QUICK  LINKS

Wisconsin Suicide Data
Risk and Protective Factors
Impact of Trauma
Suicide Prevention Resources

YOUTH SUICIDE PREVENTION

Youth Suicide Prevention Toolkit
Garrett Lee Smith Youth Suicide Prevention Grant Final Report
Youth Suicide Prevention Resources and Best Practices

 

Wisconsin Suicide Data


Suicide is a significant public health problem in Wisconsin. Suicidal behavior places a large burden on individuals, families, and communities throughout Wisconsin due to loss of life, disability, emotional and financial toll on family and friends, and lost productivity in the workforce.

This report outlines the burden of the problem by utilizing data from the Violent Injury Reporting System (VIRS) and the Wisconsin Violent Death Reporting System (WVDRS). The report presents data on trends of suicide by age, sex, education, race, ethnicity, marital status and veteran status as well as circumstance information surrounding the suicides. In addition to providing data on suicides, the number of suicide attempts and economic factors such as years per life lost and hospitalization and emergency department visit costs are given.

Burden of Suicide Report in Wisconsin
Information by county.

 

Risk and Protective Factors


Risk factors are stressful events, situations, or conditions that exist in a person's life that may increase the likelihood of attempting or dying by suicide. There is no predictive list of a particular set of risk factors that spells imminent danger of suicide. It is important to understand that risk factors DO NOT cause suicide. Risk factors most strongly associated with suicidal behavior include individual, peer/family, community, and society. Download more information.

Protective factors are the positive conditions and personal and social resources that promote resiliency and reduce the potential for youth suicide as well as other high-risk behaviors. It is important to understand that protective factors do not prevent suicide. Protective factors associated with suicidal behavior include individual, peer/family, community, and society. Download more information.

 

 

Impact of Trauma

Consumers and practitioners are increasingly recognizing the impact of trauma as a contributing risk factor to mental health disorders and suicide. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study identified how trauma in childhood was correlated with a variety of poorer health outcomes. For more information see the following:

For information about the ACE Study see: http://www.cdc.gov/ace/index.htm

Trauma Exposure Among Select Wisconsin Families in the Child Welfare System: Click here.

A Trauma Informed Understanding of Suicidality, a powerpoint by Elizabeth Hudson, Trauma Informed Care Consultant to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services: http://66.185.30.201/data/sites/16/media/webinars/tic-and-suicide.ppt

National Center for Trauma-Informed Care http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/nctic/

Wisconsin's ACE Study: http://wctf.state.wi.us/index.php?section=adverse-childhood

 

Suicide Prevention Resources

Impact of Suicide on Youth & Families: The Ones We Miss curriculum 

Suicide Prevention Resource Center

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Mental Health Information - Suicide >>, Loss and Grief >>

Survivors Helping Survivors Support groups for those who have lost a loved one to suicide
Wisconsin Youth Risk Behavior Survey available via the Department of Public Instruction.