Stefan Gingerich

I like to show people this chart that shows all 50 states in the District of Columbia ranked on a bar chart from left to right. On the left-hand side, you've got the states with the lowest suicide rates and on the right-hand state, you've got the states with the highest suicide rates.

I like to show people this chart that shows all 50 states in the District of Columbia ranked on a bar chart from left to right. On the left-hand side, you've got the states with the lowest suicide rates and on the right-hand state, you've got the states with the highest suicide rates.

And one of the things that I like to point out, so I'm looking at it right now, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, Connecticut, California, with the exception of California- Illinois, right. With the exception of California and Illinois, they're all in the Northeast, but they also have these high population centers, high population density, They tend to, I should say.

And one of the things that I like to point out, so I'm looking at it right now, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, Connecticut, California, with the exception of California- Illinois, right. With the exception of California and Illinois, they're all in the Northeast, but they also have these high population centers, high population density, They tend to, I should say.

There obviously are places in New York, upstate New York, beautiful. Outside of the cities in California, beautiful. Not so many people. On the other end of the spectrum, however, Wyoming, Montana, Alaska, New Mexico. Again, there's a geographic component to it just in terms of where they're located. But Alaska is not close to any other state, really.

There obviously are places in New York, upstate New York, beautiful. Outside of the cities in California, beautiful. Not so many people. On the other end of the spectrum, however, Wyoming, Montana, Alaska, New Mexico. Again, there's a geographic component to it just in terms of where they're located. But Alaska is not close to any other state, really.

But we talk about population density, and there's this correlation between high population density, lower suicide rates, lower population density, higher suicide rates. It's not perfect, of course. There are gonna be some exceptions, but that plays out at the state level. It plays out at the county level in Minnesota.

But we talk about population density, and there's this correlation between high population density, lower suicide rates, lower population density, higher suicide rates. It's not perfect, of course. There are gonna be some exceptions, but that plays out at the state level. It plays out at the county level in Minnesota.

So when we look at Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Anoka County, some of these counties around the Twin Cities that have higher population densities, the suicide rates do tend to be lower. They're not always lower. You're gonna find some exceptions. Northern Minnesota, very rural, very low population density. There tends to be higher suicide rates there.

So when we look at Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Anoka County, some of these counties around the Twin Cities that have higher population densities, the suicide rates do tend to be lower. They're not always lower. You're gonna find some exceptions. Northern Minnesota, very rural, very low population density. There tends to be higher suicide rates there.

I think that's part of it. I think that's part of it. When I first stumbled upon this, I showed it to my previous manager, John Raessler, who I think you know. He was with the Minnesota Department of Health for 35 years. He's still with us on a part-time basis. he took one look at this correlation and he goes, take out the firearm deaths. And I was like, oh, that's an interesting.

I think that's part of it. I think that's part of it. When I first stumbled upon this, I showed it to my previous manager, John Raessler, who I think you know. He was with the Minnesota Department of Health for 35 years. He's still with us on a part-time basis. he took one look at this correlation and he goes, take out the firearm deaths. And I was like, oh, that's an interesting.

So I did that, took out the firearm deaths. Lo and behold, the relationship pretty much disappeared. And so when you look at the firearm suicide rates, you see that correlation, low population density, higher suicide rates. If you look at the poisonings and the suffocations, all the other injuries that result in suicide,

So I did that, took out the firearm deaths. Lo and behold, the relationship pretty much disappeared. And so when you look at the firearm suicide rates, you see that correlation, low population density, higher suicide rates. If you look at the poisonings and the suffocations, all the other injuries that result in suicide,

um that relationship is not as strong and so part of the the the issue driving that is access to firearms there do tend to be um a higher rate of firearms in rural areas than in urban areas but i think access to care is absolutely part of it as well yeah i mean if you know i i would guess i'm only guessing that if um anybody is contemplating these types of this type of thing um

um that relationship is not as strong and so part of the the the issue driving that is access to firearms there do tend to be um a higher rate of firearms in rural areas than in urban areas but i think access to care is absolutely part of it as well yeah i mean if you know i i would guess i'm only guessing that if um anybody is contemplating these types of this type of thing um

I think the rates are increasing for younger generations. In fact, in Minnesota, in 2021, the highest rate by age group was 25 to 29. That shifts. It moves around a little bit just because the size of those populations is not very large, and so the estimates tend to get a little unstable over time.

I think the rates are increasing for younger generations. In fact, in Minnesota, in 2021, the highest rate by age group was 25 to 29. That shifts. It moves around a little bit just because the size of those populations is not very large, and so the estimates tend to get a little unstable over time.

um in 2022 it looks like the highest rate in the state is going to be or the highest rate among that sort of general age group is 30 to 34 and so we do tend to see increasing rates of of suicide in the younger adult age group but i do also think that there's a little bit more attention being paid to it lots of suicide prevention efforts go into high schools and middle schools as well as colleges.

um in 2022 it looks like the highest rate in the state is going to be or the highest rate among that sort of general age group is 30 to 34 and so we do tend to see increasing rates of of suicide in the younger adult age group but i do also think that there's a little bit more attention being paid to it lots of suicide prevention efforts go into high schools and middle schools as well as colleges.