Youth Suicide Rates

Sources: Department of Health, Office of Hospital and Patient Data Systems, Comprehensive Hospital Abstract Reporting System (CHARS) and Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics Death Certificate Data, as reported by Starks, A., Sharkova, I., Leibenguth, S., & Huber, A. (2026). Community outcome & risk evaluation: Risk and protection profile for substance abuse prevention in Washington State. Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Research and Data Analysis. https://www.dshs.wa.gov/sites/default/files/data/riskprofiles/research-4.47-state.pdf 
Notes: Suicides are based on death certificate information and attempts are based on hospital admissions, but do not include admissions to federal hospitals. 
The coding of intent for injuries and poisonings in hospital admissions data underwent a transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10 codes in the fall of 2015. It has affected the 2015 and 2016 data on suicide attempts reported here. Researchers have concluded that the marked changes in 2015 and 2016 are “almost certainly” an artifact of the coding changes rather than increases in suicidal behavior, as some cases previously coded as undetermined intent are now coded as self-harm. These coding changes do not explain increases in suicidal behavior in the years following 2016. For more information, see: Stewart, C., Crawford, P.M., & Simon, G. (2017). Changes in coding of suicide attempts or self-harm with transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10. Psychiatric Services, 68(3), 215-215. https://ps.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ps.201600450.