StoryMaps and Dashboards are Critical for Sharing Suicide Prevention Lifelines

Gletham · ‎09-14-2022

During this, National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month (SPAM), I felt it prudent and timely to share some of the efforts that passionate individuals and organizations have gone to share awareness and information on the topic, in particular, with ArcGIS and mapping technologies. Read on for information of StoryMaps, Dashboards, and a Hub devoted to Suicide Awareness and prevention - a topic very near and dear to me.

StoryMapping Suicide Awareness

Early in 2021, StoryMapper Ann Tjeltveit addressed the topic of mental health crisis during the COVID pandemic times in her StoryMap. Of particular interest at this particular time was the passage of the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020 and the planned roll-out of the nation-wide 988 hotline for those in distress. In her Story, the author describes how during COVID times the reliance on such emergency outreach services has surged in demand - findings in this Story share that in 2018, the highest suicide rate was found in New Mexico, where the suicide rate was 25 people per 100,000.

DID-U-Know... Apple's Siri service refers users to the service if they express suicidality! Of interest, be sure to check out the Suicide Statistics by State map (below) - data from Kaiser Family Foundation

In a more localized effort, this StoryMap explores the rate of suicide in Orange County, California (2019). The research shared looks at demographics of victims as well as means of death and geography. Of particular interest, although there are many social and economic variables to consider, this research found that rates were highest in coastal areas of the county (below). Additional findings shared report that overall, the County's suicide rate is trending lower than the State totals and they attribute this to some of the suicide prevention resources that have been put in place (lifeline numbers, outpatient treatment, counseling)

Suicide Rate with Race/Ethnicity and Age (highest 25% quartiles) by Orange County City - (Source: CDPH DSMF/VRBIS, 2014-2018; ACS 5-year Estimates, 2016) Source

A StoryMapper in Oregon has tackled the topic of the severity of access and limitations to access to mental health resources. Of particular interest she shares, " Some people don't have mental health services near them, so they have to drive a while for an appointment. This can cause even more stress, making the problem worse for the individual. In Oregon untreated mental health issues is the 11th leading cause of death for people of all ages and 3rd leading cause of death in ages 25-34." Compounding matters is the common problem faced in many regions, that of a shortage of healthcare professionals (myself being from BC originally, I can attest that in that province the shortage is at a critical stage, many people having no access to a GP or healthcare provider). See below for the author's depiction of areas in Oregon experiencing a shortage of access to health services.

Here in Colorado, we have access to data from the Colorado Dept of Public Health via this Hub or via ArcGIS Online. The data (raw) shares suicide mortality rates by cencus tract and is available for download and further mapping ana analysis. Be sure to explore the Hub homepage for resources and data for many other locations. About the data (See map below), These data represent the Age-Adjusted Colorado Census Tract Mortality Rate Per 100,000 Persons for Suicide as the Underlying Cause of Death (2015-2019)

Coroner's Dashboard

I was particularly interested in how Douglas County, CO is using Dashboards to assist with tracking data and trends over the years. The Douglas County Coroner's Office has created a Suicide Dashboard which does a good job of clearly explaining the situation in the county over time. Tabular data breaks down deaths by gender, age, cause of death and more. (see below)

Douglas County, CO Coroner's Dashboard

GIS Technology Assists in Efforts

Numerous government agencies, non-profit organizations, and devoted individuals are exploring the suicide epidemic and are amplifying their findings and getting the word out to all using ArcGIS technologies availabel to all, including StoryMaps, ArcGIS Hub, and powerful Dashboards. A reminder to all that recently, Esri announced the availability of grants and free software through the Esri Small Nonprofit Organization Grant Initiative. Nonprofits working in the areas of civic and humanitarian efforts, economic advancement, conservation, food insecurity, and civil rights can all leverage GIS through this program. To learn about the Esri Small Nonprofit Organization Grant Initiative, visit esri.com/nonprofitgrant or contact the Esri Nonprofit Team at adoptanonprofit@esri.com.

Related Resources:

Note: The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States. "We're committed to improving crisis services and advancing suicide prevention by empowering individuals, advancing professional best practices, and building awareness."