Exploring Place-Based Differences in Suicide and Suicide-Related Outcomes among North Carolina Adolescents and Young Adults

Keywords: Suicide, Self-Harm, Suicide Ideation, Spatial Analysis, Mapping, Racial Segregation, Rurality
Session Type: Virtual Poster Abstract
Day: Friday
Session Start / End Time: 2/25/2022 05:20 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/25/2022 06:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 21

Abstract

Suicide is an ongoing public health crisis, with rates rising over 100% between 2009 and 2018 among adolescents and young adults in the state of North Carolina. Potential precursors to suicide in this vulnerable group are also on the rise, including self-harm and suicidal ideation. This study uses emergency department data, death certificates, and violent death reporting system data for North Carolina for 2009–2018 to investigate spatial clusters of self-harm or suicidal ideation and suicide. Findings show that the demographic characteristics of individuals committing fatal and non-fatal self-injury are quite different. Furthermore, attempted and completed suicides, have a somewhat different geographical pattern. Area-level measures like micropolitan status and measures of racial segregation predicted the presence in high-risk suicide clusters. Suicides among Native Americans and veteran status/military personnel also were associated with higher-risk suicide clusters. Future interventions should target these specific high-risk locations for immediate reductions in adolescent and youth suicides.