Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among people aged 10 to 24, and the 11th-leading cause of death overall in the nationwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 49,476 people died by suicide across the country in 2022. That’s more than 14 out of 100,000 people on average dying by suicide in a given community.
“For us, suicide is an epidemic. It’s a public health issue,” said Canada Taylor Parker, the suicide prevention coordinator and postvention response lead for the Health Department. Taylor Parker was one of several speakers presenting to the Board of County Commissioners as they recognized September 2024 as Suicide Prevention Month.
The state of Oregon has the 14th-highest rate of suicide deaths in the nation. According to the Oregon Health Authority, in 2023, 888 people died by suicide in Oregon, or almost 21 people out of every 100,000 Oregonians. Of all Oregon counties, Multnomah County had the highest number of deaths by suicide in 2023: 160 deaths by suicide, or more than 20 out of 100,000 people.
Luke Dial, a College to County intern, said that according to academic literature, each suicide impacts an average of 135 people who are exposed to the death, while some deaths impact thousands of people in the community.
“Our community is communicating to us many things. Domestic violence, sexual assault, houselessness, poverty — all these things are interconnected,” said Taylor Parker. “Suicide is one of the many outcomes, but what they’re communicating is that they’re struggling. Right now we’re starting to see the outcomes of the pandemic and those four years that really shifted a lot of children’s lives. And we’re seeing it happen in real time.”
Yet, she said, “our community is also telling us they are full of hope.”
Suicide Prevention Month takes place every September to raise awareness about the role that prevention efforts — which aim to ensure everyone has both access to resources when they need them and awareness of what to do when someone is in distress — play in saving people’s lives.
James R. Dixon, the County’s Black youth suicide prevention coordinator, said that “as an attempt survivor and a person with lived experience, this role is not just professional responsibility for me, it is a deeply personal mission for myself and the members of my team to ensure that our youth and the families who support them know that they are seen, valued and supported, especially those who have been historically underserved.”
The Suicide Prevention Month proclamation recognizes suicide as a public health and equity issue, stating that people of color are disproportionately affected by suicide, specifically American Indian/Alaska Natives and the Latiné community. Suicide is the ninth-leading cause of death among American Indian/Alaska Native people, compared to non-Hispanic people of all races for whom suicide is the 12th-leading cause of death. Youth suicide in Multnomah County and Oregon disproportionately impacts youth of color.
The Two Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) community is also at a higher risk of suicide. People who identify as transgender are nearly 12 times more likely to attempt suicide than the overall population. And according to the CDC, among high school students who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual, 26.3% reported a suicide attempt, compared to 5.2% of students who identify as heterosexual.
“While these challenges are significant, so too is our resolve,” said Dixon. “We are building a stronger and more connected community that can offer hope and support to anyone struggling with thoughts of suicide. Every small act of kindness, every moment of connection, can make a difference.
“This is what gives me hope as we look to the future knowing that we're not just addressing the systems, but working to transform the systems that have too often failed our youth and our family. Together we create a community where hope is not just a word but a reality for everyone.”
By taking a public health approach to suicide prevention, Multnomah County takes a public health approach to suicide prevention, improving access to food, healthcare, housing and behavioral health support to directly address the root causes that put people at greater risk.
Dora Meng, a College to County intern with the Health Department, explained that she previously thought that suicide prevention efforts were limited to crisis intervention. She shared the internship with the department helped her realize the core of the County’s suicide prevention work is building community.
“As an international student coming from China, I struggled with lack of belonging and loneliness when I navigated cultural barriers by myself,” said Meng. “Luckily I found a sense of belonging and meaning through community services. It’s easy for us to become overwhelmed with big, systemic issues that are out of our control. However, our team’s relentless effort for supporting the community is so inspiring and makes me feel hopeful about the future.”
The proclamation serves to encourage County residents to increase their sensitivity for noticing people who may be struggling with challenges in their lives and to reach out to connect in any way they can. The Get Trained to Help program offers free training for community members on how to provide immediate help for people who are in distress. This is available for anyone 18 or older.
Community members can call 503-988-4888 to reach Multnomah County’s 24/7 Behavioral Health Call Center, which offers help for immediate crises, referrals to services and resources. The national 988 hotline also offers trained crisis counselors 24/7 to help people who are experiencing a suicidal, substance use, and/or mental health crisis.
“We have grown an entire program because our community needs us,” said Taylor Parker. “We do this for our own lived experience. We do this for the passion of so many others who don’t necessarily get to sit in these positions. And we do this in a way that other people in the country are not. It’s an honor to hold the space today.”
Board comment
Commissioner Jesse Beason shared a personal story with the Board that through an experience of helping a friend who was having suicidal ideations, he learned what resources the County does and does not have to help people at risk of suicide. While his friend is still battling substance use today, she is still alive.
“I recognize the work that it means to save an individual. I also recognize that there are systemic issues that lead to folks feeling the kind of despair that makes them feel like they have no other option,” he said. “Thank you so much for the work you continue to do to show that every human life matters.”
Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards thanked everyone who was in the boardroom to support the presentation and the organizations they represented, along with the individuals in the community stepping out to provide hope and support for people. “Having been one of those 135 people several times in my life, I really appreciate all the work that's done by the County Health Department.”
“I do work around economic mobility, poverty, racism and mental health,” said Commissioner Lori Stegmann. “If people have the foundation of having an environment where their basic needs are being met, where their mental needs are being met, where they have a sense of belonging, that’s critical.
“It’s up to us individually and as a community to support one another and to be there for one another because you all can't be everywhere. I wish you could. And you have done a lot with 2.8 full-time staff and I congratulate you.”
“This year we look at how we can collectively change the narrative in order to lower Multnomah County’s rates of suicide and increase wellness across our community,” said Chair Jessica Vega Pederson. “Every year, there are more crises that contribute to suicide in our communities. Today we stand united against these trends and in support of the many people on the frontlines of prevention.”
