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In St. Tammany Parish, suicide rates have remained higher than both state and national averages. In 2014, there were 47 deaths by suicide, representing a rate of approximately 19.4 per 100,000 residents, significantly above the Louisiana average at that time. As of mid-2024, suicide deaths in the parish were reported to be up roughly 20 percent compared to the same period in 2023, with firearms continuing to be the most common method.

In Louisiana in 2022, approximately 726 people died by suicide, equivalent to about 15.6 deaths per 100,000 residents, a rate above the national average. Suicide ranks as the 14th leading cause of death in the state and is the 3rd leading cause of death for Louisianans ages 10-24 and ages 25-34. These statistics remind us that behind each number is a neighbor, a friend, a family member, and that our mission at STOPS is urgent because many of these losses are preventable.

In the United States in 2023, more than 49,000 people died by suicide, about 14.7 deaths per 100,000 people, and suicide remains the 11th leading cause of death nationally. For many young Americans ages 10–34, it is the 2nd leading cause of death. Every day, many more lives are touched by thoughts of suicide, attempts, and self-harm, a reminder that each number represents a person, a story, and a community impacted.