Nevada dropped from 10th to 12th in the national ranking of suicides, according to the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services.
The report comes from Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, or SAVE.
The state was seventh in the nation in 2019, with 642 deaths or a rate of 19.8 suicides per 100,000 population. In 2020, that dropped to 603 deaths, or a rate of 19.2.
While the nation has seen an uptick in suicides, Nevada has seen a steady drop, according to the Office of Suicide Prevention.
“While this is encouraging news and highlights the resilience of Nevadans, we have much more work to do to continue and sustain this downward trajectory,” Misty Vaughan Allen, suicide prevention coordinator with the Office of Suicide Prevention, said in a media release. “Suicide is complex and the efforts to increase protection from suicide, especially with our young people, will require comprehensive and collaborative work and creative thinking. Even one loss to suicide is one life too many.”
What will help someone who is at risk?
- Looking out for each other and checking in reduces suicide risk, because it increases the connections between people
- Recognize the signs of depression, specifically changes in behavior, appearance, or mood
- If you are concerned, ask them about suicide
- Prevention experts say that discussing suicide directly and with compassion is a key part in preventing it
If you or someone you know is at risk, contact Crisis Support Services of Nevada by calling 800-273-8255 or texting CARE to 839863.
