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What we know about people who died by suicide in King County
Suicide affects people in every community, and the factors that contribute to suicide are complex. The dashboard below is one way to organize what we know about experiences of people who died by suicide in King County.
For each person who died by suicide, we reviewed information about their use of health care and social services, along with major life circumstances and crises they experienced before their death—such as relationship problems, job loss, or other significant stressors. By looking for patterns in this information, we identified five distinct groups of characteristics among people who died by suicide.
How to read and use this dashboard
Use the arrow next to each group name to expand and view details about that group. When you are finished, use the arrow on the left side of the page to return to the main view. You can hover over bars or data points to access additional information. If you are using assistive technology, you may also be able to access this information by moving the focus to that bar or data point.
Key findings
- We identified five distinct groups of people who died by suicide based on patterns in their service use, health needs, and life events.
- The largest group of people who died by suicide (28%) had no documented behavioral health conditions, no known use of social services or healthcare, and no indication in these corresponding data systems that they were experiencing a crisis before their death.
- Two of the groups showed clear signs of mental health needs, such as diagnoses, treatment history, or previous suicidal behavior.
- In the larger group (20%), people did not appear to be using other public services.
- In the larger group (10%), people used public services at very high rates. This group—those with mental health needs and suicidality who also used public services—often interacted with systems such as emergency medical services, jails, and crisis services, and they were more likely to have experienced homelessness.
- The final two groups included people who experienced a sudden and disruptive life event before their death.
- The most common events included intimate partner problems, arguments, criminal legal issues, physical health problems, and job-related problems.
- The smaller of these two groups (13%) did not show evidence of substance use, while the larger group (28%) did.
What this means for action
- Professionals can use this information to tailor suicide prevention strategies to the different groups identified in the data. This includes strengthening warm handoffs, improving follow up for people with known mental health needs who are not connected to ongoing care, and building supports that help people navigate sudden life disruptions.
- Community members also have an important role. Reaching out when someone experiences a major life change or crisis can make a meaningful difference. It can help to learn the five action steps for supporting someone who may be thinking about suicide: Ask, Be There, Help Keep Them Safe, Help Them Connect, and Follow Up.