Definition: Three year rolling rate (per 100,000) of all suicide deaths by all means. Rates are per 100,000 population and are calculated using population estimates provided by the Florida Legislature, Office of Economic and Demographic Research. All age-adjusted rates utilize the Year 2000 Standard Population Proportion.

Source: Florida Department of Health, Florida Charts

2025 Target: 15.93 per 100,000 population

Below is a comparison of the value for this indicator among seven coastal counties: Charlotte, Sarasota, Collier, Lee, Manatee, Hillsborough, and Pinellas. These counties have been recommended as comparable counties by Sarasota County Government.

Deaths from Suicide per 100,000 Population (2014-2016)

In 2014-2016, the rate of suicide in Sarasota County was 18.7 per 100,000 population. There has been a 26% increase in the rate of suicide in Sarasota County since 2004-2006. This increase is probably due in part to economic recession, as financial loss puts people at higher risk of committing suicide (source: Suicide Prevention and Resource Center). The suicide rate has been consistently higher in Sarasota County than in state of Florida (14.2 per 100,000), with difference of 4.5 per 100,000 in 2015. This may be due in part to the high rate of substance and alcohol abuse in Sarasota County, which is a contributing factor to suicide. In the county as well as the rest of the state, suicide is most common among white males. In 2014-2016, the suicide rate for males was approximately three times higher than females both in Sarasota County and the State of Florida.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, both health and environmental factors may put people at risk of attempting suicide. Health factors include having an untreated or undiagnosed mental health condition, a substance abuse disorder, or a serious chronic health condition or chronic pain. Environmental factors include stressful life events (i.e., death, divorce, job loss), prolonged stress events (i.e. bullying, relationship problems, unemployment), and access to lethal means including firearms and drugs. The consensus among experts is that raising awareness and providing affordable, broad-based access to treatment are among the keys to preventing suicide.