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The state Section of Epidemiology published preliminary data last week showing that Alaska’s suicide rate hasn’t gone up in 2020, though unintentional drug overdoses are continuing an upward trend from previous years.
Alaska’s suicide rate remains among the highest in the country around 30 deaths per 100,000 people. It’s the leading cause of death among Alaska youth over the age of 15. Beverly Schoonover, director of the statewide Suicide Prevention Council, says this has been an issue long before COVID-19 hit.
“Last year, both attempts, ideation and completions were much higher than we want to see. This has been an ongoing problem, you know, and it s not just the pandemic that s contributing to that.”
Overdose deaths in Alaska have been on the rise since the pandemic began, report says
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Print article More Alaskans have died of unintentional drug overdoses in Alaska in 2020 than during each of the previous two years, according to a state report released Tuesday. The department cited the “inordinate stress” facing many during the COVID-19 pandemic as one possible explanation for the increase. This fall, there was a 51% increase in new calls to Alaska Careline, the statewide suicide prevention hotline. “(That increase) may indicate that more people are seeking assistance due to pandemic-associated stress,” the report said. It showed that overdose death rates in Alaska in 2020 were highest among men and those ages 25 to 44, as well as residents of Anchorage and the northern part of the state.
The COVID-19 pandemic has put a strain on various aspects of our lives, affecting mental health and behavioral patterns often resulting in tragedies.
Since April, more Alaskans have died from drug overdoses and had thoughts of suicide or have attempted suicide, according to a Tuesday report from Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.
Deaths from drug overdoses rose in 2020 compared to 2018 and 2019, especially in the Northern region and Anchorage, according to the report. This mirrors the national increase in drug overdose deaths during the pandemic, involving synthetic opioids and psychostimulants such as methamphetamine, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.