Young adult suicide rate rises in Washington State

Washington's young adult suicide rate rose more than 13% from 2014 to 2024, mirroring a national trend, a recent analysis finds, and Axios Seattle reported Dec. 9. The increase underscores the toll of the country's mental health crisis — particularly in the state of Washington, where the suicide rate among young people remains higher than the national average. The suicide rate for Washington adults aged 18 to 27 climbed 13.3% between 2014 and 2024, reaching 18.8 per 100,000 people, per a new analysis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from Stateline, a nonprofit newsroom. Nationwide, the suicide rate among that age group saw a sharper 20% increase. Yet the national rate — 16.4 deaths per 100,000 — remained lower than in Washington. The rising suicide rate among 18‐ to 27‐year‐olds comes as Gen Z members enter that age range and the Millennials leave it. “Theories behind the increase range from bullying on social media, since Gen Z was the first generation to grow up with the internet, to economic despair, to cultural resistance to seeking help for depression,” per Stateline. Seattle officials have been looking at ways to address youth mental health. An education levy approved by voters last month will add five new school‐based health centers to Seattle, which will help provide K–12 students with mental health care both in‐person and virtually.