Data and Statistics
Table of Contents
Suicide Prevention strategies are most effective when they are guided by local and specific data. The following data sources are trusted by HeadQuarters Kansas Suicide Prevention Center for use when applying for funding, creating public awareness messages or planning prevention strategies.
Zero Suicide Dashboard
The Kansas Suicide-Related Data Dashboard displays suicide death and suicide-related morbidity including suicidal ideation, intentional self-harm, and suicide attempt data, as well as indicators of statewide Zero Suicide implementation. Demographic and geographic information are presented in this dashboard for both mortality and morbidity data.
The dashboard is particularly useful when looking for the most up to date suicide related data in Kansas. It is possible to sort information in a variety of ways including for specific geographical regions which can make it useful for raising local awareness, writing funding proposals or preparing for presentations.
Kansas Violent Death Reporting System (KVDRS)
KVDRS combines data from death certificates, law enforcement reports, and coroner/medical examiner reprots, including toxicology. This data is far more comprehensive than what is available elsewhere. Combing data in this systematic manner provides a more complete picture of when, wehre, and how violent deaths (including suicides) occur.
Kansas Communities that Care Survey
The Kansas Communities That Care Survey is an annual survey of 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th graders which gathers information about a variety of health risk behaviors and opinions of students. It is anonymous and voluntary collection of information.
KCTC can be viewed for a variety of timespans and geographies. The Depression and Suicide questions are very useful when attempting to understand the experience of Kansas youth or youth in your local community.
Young Adult Survey
The Kansas Young Adult Survey (KYAS) is administered every other year to young adults aged 18-25 both in college and not in college. The survey asks about health, mental health, stress, substance use, and driving under the influence of various substances.
KYAS can be viewed for a variety of timespans and geographies. The Mental Health/Depression questions are very useful when attempting to understand the experience of Kansas youth or youth in your local community.
Center for Disease Control
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are the trusted source for national suicide related data and statistics. The linked page provides a variety of graphs and charts about suicide death with information on racial, ethnic, gender, and age disparities related to suicide data.
Trevor Project Youth Mental Helath Survey
The Trevor Project conducts a survey of young LGBTQ people every year. Their goal is to amplify the experiences of and give voice to LGBTQ people ages 13 to 24. Since there is a consistent gap in gathering sexual orientation and gender identity information in our Kansas data, this survey is a good reference for understanding the unique experience of this community. A note on equitable use of data- when sharing information about the suicide risk experienced by LGBTQ+ folks it is recommended that the risk be framed not as a function living with a queer identity, but rather as a reaction to the discrimination and other adverse experiences which can accompany living in the world. It is also important that the protective factors related to the LGBTQ+ community are shared as well as elevated risk.
SAMHSA 988 Data
The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Agency provides overview data of the services provided on 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline on a monthly basis. Records extend back to the launch of 988 in July 2022. This data shows the national impact of 988. For more local data requests, contact HeadQuarters Kansas directly.