Report: Kansas youth suicides rose by 50% in one year

TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – A report released by the Kansas State Child Death Review Board shows that the number of suicides among children in Kansas rose by 50% from 2016 to 2017.

There were 20 Kansas youth who committed suicide in 2016, and the year following, the number rose to 32.

These numbers show a continuing upward trend of youth suicides in the past decade.

“I appreciate the dedicated work of the State Child Death Review Board in compiling this information to help inform policymakers on steps to help prevent deaths of Kansas children,” Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said. “The continued rise in youth suicides depicted in the report is alarming, and the Legislature showed considerable foresight earlier this year in establishing a more-comprehensive state response.”

The state of Kansas has been working to reduce this number.

In June of 2018, the Youth Suicide Prevention Task Force was formed to survey efforts underway in Kansas to reduce the incidence of youth suicide and provide recommendations on further steps that could be taken.

The task force made a number of recommendations, some of which were adopted by the Legislature as they passed House Bill 2290.

This bill created the Kansas Youth Suicide Prevention Coordinator to implement recommendations of the task force, a role currently filled by Gina Meier-Hummel.

“Every time a child takes his or her own life it is heartbreaking, and this report underscores the need to collectively address the pain Kansas youth, families and communities are feeling,” Meier-Hummel said. “I take this responsibility very seriously and am encouraged by the early response from statewide partners about working together, streamlining our efforts and strengthening our overall response to youth suicide in Kansas.”

The State Child Death Review Board’s 2019 annual report analyzes all child deaths that occurred in 2017, the most recent year for which data is available. Those included in the report are deaths of children from birth to the age of 17.

Click here to view the full report.