This is a Vermont Department of Health Healthy Vermonters 2030 indicator. To learn more please visit the Healthy Vermonters webpage.

Author: Vermont Department of Mental Health

Suicide is a major public health challenge, but it is often preventable. In 2021, death by suicide was the 9^th leading cause of death for all Vermonters and, in 2023, 125 Vermonters died by suicide. From 2014 through 2023, the rate of death by suicide has varied from a low of 16.3 deaths per 100,000 residents in 2015 to a high of 22.0 deaths per 100,000 residents in 2021. The Vermont rates of deaths by suicide, calculated as the number of deaths by suicide per 100,000 people, were higher than the national average from 2018-2022 with the US rate at 14.5 and the Vermont rate at 19.6.

These rates in Vermont continue to follow national trends with more men dying by suicide than women and firearms being the method most often used for a majority of these deaths. Identity groups most vulnerable to death by suicide include:   

• Individuals who identify as male.
• Individuals who identify or are perceived as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color.
• Individuals who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex (LGBTQI+).
• Adults with a disability.
• Veterans who have served in the armed forces.
• Adults (typically 65+ years old) who experience social isolation.

Current research has identified that there has been an increase in deaths by suicide. Suicide is not only a mental health issue, it is a community issue. It touches every socioeconomic status, race, identity, and community. Everyone can help.

The Vermont Agency of Human Services, as well as the Departments of Health and Mental Health, are collaborating with community partners to reduce these rates.

Updated in September 2024

Suicide in Vermont is a public health problem. More importantly, with a comprehensive approach, it’s a preventable problem. 

The Vermont Agency of Human Services (AHS) and its Departments are working to reduce the rate of suicide in Vermont. AHS recognizes that preventing suicide is a community wide effort that involves a strong collaboration with mental health and physical health care providers. In addition there is a public-private-academic partnership focused on the surveillance of suicide prevention data and information led by the Vermont Department of Health with participation from the Department of Mental Health, University of Vermont, and other stakeholders.

Vermont’s suicide prevention strategic plan aligns closely with the US Department of Health and Human Services National Strategy for Suicide Prevention Four Strategic Directions:

• Community-Based Suicide Prevention,
• Treatment and Crisis Services,
• Surveillance, Quality Improvement, and Research, and
• Health Equity in Suicide Prevention.

Vermont Suicide Prevention Center (VtSPC) is a key community partner who leads the Vermont Suicide Prevention Coalition, which is comprised of 70 members across public, private, and non-profit sectors representing public health, health care, education, community, social services, state agencies, and people with lived experience. 

The Vermont Department of Mental Health works in collaboration with other state and community partner organizations to promote effective evidence-based interventions.

The section headings below were based on the State's previous alignment with  the World Health Organization’s National Suicide Prevention Strategies, which categorizes actions into three broad intervention levels: Universal Prevention, Selective Prevention, and Indicated Strategies. As the State realigns its efforts to conform to the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention Four Strategic Directions listed above, further updates on strategies will be outlined.

Universal Prevention

1. Increase access to healthcare, specifically mental health care.
2. Promote positive mental health.
3. UMatter campaign that works to accomplish the following:
   • Promote the message that suicide is preventable.
   • Equip gatekeepers with the knowledge and skills to respond effectively to those in distress.
   • Increase public awareness of the importance of addressing mental health issues.
   • Establish a broad-based suicide prevention and intervention strategy throughout Vermont.
   • Sponsor a media campaign to reduce the stigma associated with being a consumer of mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention services.
   • Promote positive youth development.
   • Put into place long-term, sustainable approaches to prevention and early intervention.
4. Facing Suicide VT
   • This statewide prevention initiative provides access to suicide prevention, education, support, and advocacy resources and is led by the Vermont Departments of Health and Mental Health through funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Program.  

Selective Prevention

1. Targeted services for people at higher risk.
   1. Gatekeeper training, such as UMatter, Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (CSSRS), and Mental Health First Aid, for those in key positions to identify people at higher risk. These gatekeepers are trained to recognize someone who may be struggling and be able to connect with further help.
2. Helplines:
   • Designated Agency (DA) crisis services
   • 9-8-8 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
   • Pathways Vermont Peer-run Warmline
   • Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence hotlines
3. Governor's Challenge on Veterans Suicide
   1. Federal initiative, led by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), to develop and implement statewide suicide prevention best practices for service members, veterans, and their families (SMVF) using a public health approach.

Indicated Strategies

Vermont has adopted the Nation Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention platform, Zero Suicide, that is a set of evidence-based principles and practices for preventing suicide within health and mental health care systems. The four areas of intervention under this systematic suicide care strategary are as follows:

1. Screening and Assessment for Suicidality
2. Developed Collaborative Safety Plan
3. Suicide-focused Treatment
4. Follow-up Aftercare

The growth in suicide in Vermont is among the fastest in the nation, as outlined in the 2024 State Health Assessment: Health Needs of People in Vermont. Suicide prevention is part of the Vermont State Health Improvement Plan 2019-2023, which is a strategic, data-driven plan that provides population health indicators and goals. 

Act 186 was enacted by the Vermont General Assembly to demonstrate the outcomes of well-being for Vermonters. The Vermont Agency of Human Services, as well as other State of Vermont agencies and departments, report this information annually.

The Vermont Agency of Human Services operates in support of the Governor’s overall agenda for Vermont. Additionally, its mission, and the work of its six departments, is targeted to achieve results through three key practices: innovation, collaboration, and dedication.  

Suicide death data is analyzed using International Classification of Disease Version 10 (ICD-10) codes (X60-X84, Y87.0, U03) or the designated Manner of Death on death certificates and includes all Vermont residents who died by suicide. This is a change from previous data analyses where suicide death data was analyzed primarily only with ICD-10 codes. As a result, there may be slight variations in the number of deaths per year compared to previous data products published. Additionally, Vermont’s suicide death numbers may not exactly match the numbers reported by the CDC, as they only report based on ICD-10 codes. Rates are reported as the unadjusted rate per 100,000 Vermont residents. Please note that 2023 death data are preliminary, and at the time of publication the rate denominators reflect 2022 population estimates.