Washington Priority Topic Investments

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Overdose
Suicide

Washington Overdose Investment Snapshot

Combatting the current overdose crisis is a priority for the agency. This page provides an overview of the FY21 CDC Injury Center (NCIPC) overdose investments for the state of Washington.

There were 91,799 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2020 (28.3 deaths per 100,000 standard population), a stark 30% increase from 2019. Approximately 75% of drug overdose deaths in 2020 involved an opioid, with synthetic opioids (e.g., illicitly manufactured fentanyls) accounting for more than 80% of all opioid-involved deaths. Drug overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids increased by 55% and deaths involving psychostimulants (e.g., methamphetamine) increased by 47% from 2019 to 2020. Drug overdose deaths involving cocaine also increased by 22%.

In 2020 in Washington there were:

1,733

overdose deaths

22

overdose deaths per 100,000 people (age-adjusted)

Source: NVSS – Drug Overdose Deaths

Overdose Funding At A Glance

Overdose Funding At A Glance
$4,778,118 FY21 Washington Total Overdose Prevention Funding	FY21 Awards Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) Washington State Award: $4,390,240 Public Health and Public Safety Overdose Response Strategy: $74,500* Research University of Washington: $313,378 *average award amount

Examples of How Washington Is Working to Prevent Overdose

overdose strategies
	Local care coordinators Mason County implemented community-focused strategies to overcome linkage-to-care barriers in its rural community by partnering with the local jail and recovery centers to provide immediate care upon release. Case coordinators are available at community centers weekly to provide referrals to recovery services, provide direct access to local resources, and engage with the public.
	Comprehensive toxicology data Washington performed toxicology screenings for all overdoses and makes comprehensive toxicology data available to medical examiners and coroners for death certificates to reduce turnaround time for completing opioid-related death investigation cases.

CDC Overdose Prevention Strategies

CDC’s Injury Center plays a critical role in addressing the drug overdose epidemic by driving progress in the five strategic priorities that guide CDC’s response framework for preventing overdoses.

Additional Resources

Washington Suicide Prevention Investment Snapshot

Preventing suicide is a priority for the agency. This page provides an overview of the FY21 CDC Injury Center (NCIPC) suicide prevention investments for the state of Washington.

Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States. It was responsible for almost 46,000 deaths in 2020, which is about one death every 11 minutes. The number of people who think about or attempt suicide is even higher. In 2020, 12.2 million American adults seriously thought about suicide, 3.2 million planned a suicide attempt, and 1.2 million attempted suicide.

In 2020 in Washington there were:

1,212

suicide deaths

15.2

suicide deaths per 100,000 people (age-adjusted)

Source: Suicide Rates by State (cdc.gov)

Suicide Prevention Funding At A Glance

Suicide Funding At A Glance
$145,985 FY21 Washington Total Suicide Prevention Funding	FY21 Awards Emergency Department Surveillance of Nonfatal Suicide-Related Outcomes (ED-SNSRO) Washington State Department of Health: $145,985

Examples of How Washington Is Working to Prevent Suicide

suicide strategies
	Disseminating data in weekly reports Washington’s ED-SNSRO team is using and improving near real-time surveillance data to determine the impact of COVID-19 on behavioral health outcomes, including nonfatal suicide-related outcomes. Washington’s surveillance team—the Rapid Health Information Network—coordinated with the Washington State Behavioral Health Strike Team to increase dissemination of near real-time surveillance of suicidal ideation and suicide attempt emergency department data by including these data in weekly situation reports. Due to these efforts, behavioral health partners and response teams got a head start on preparing for potential behavioral health impacts of COVID-19, as well as responding to impacts already being observed.
	Providing trainings Washington State Department of Health staff provided trainings and technical assistance to the Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD), which gave SRHD the capacity to use near real-time surveillance data in a dashboard to monitor mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on residents and develop strategies to address these impacts.

CDC Suicide Prevention Strategies

Suicide is preventable and there is no single cause, so prevention requires addressing the multiple factors linked to suicide at the individual, relationship, community, and societal levels. As such, CDC is leading a comprehensive approach to suicide prevention. Such an approach aims to prevent people from becoming suicidal in the first place and support people at increased risk. CDC uses data to track and monitor suicide trends, research possible risks and what works to prevent them, and help communities put proven suicide prevention strategies into place.

CDC’s Suicide Prevention Resource for Action outlines seven strategies that are based on the best available evidence to help communities and states focus on prevention activities with the greatest potential to prevent suicide.

Strengthen economic supports
Create protective environments
Improve access and delivery of suicide care
Promote healthy connections
Teach coping and problem-solving skills
Identify and support people at risk
Lessen harms and prevent future risk

Near Real-Time Surveillance
Improving surveillance – collecting better and more timely data is also an important strategy to better understand, monitor, and prevent suicide and suicidal behavior. Expanding surveillance of nonfatal suicide-related outcomes (e.g., suicide attempts, suicide ideation) can help improve timeliness of data, identify spikes, and inform prevention and response.