ESSENCE Featured in SPRC Case Study

Tennessee's health monitoring tracking system and its partnership with TSPN was the subject of a national case study by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC). The case study, "Harnessing Near Real-Time Data for Effective Suicide Prevention Efforts", is available for review at https://sprc.org/wp-content/uploads/Harnessing-Near-Real-Time-Data-Handout-Example.pdf.

In Tennessee, 100% of emergency departments report health data, including suicide-related data, to the Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-based Epidemics (ESSENCE). The TSPN ESSENCE Director sends alerts to communities where local emergency departments have reported spikes in suicide-related behavior. Alerts include information on suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and self-harm for each county, organized by age brackets. The alerts include links to webpages with state and local resources alongside contact information for TSPN's regional suicide prevention directors. Meanwhile, TSPN helps communities develop rapid response plans.

"Through Tennessee’s robust ESSENCE and listserv notification system, communities across the state are better prepared to respond to increases in suicide-related behaviors," the case study reads.

Anyone can sign up for ESSENCE Alerts via the TSPN website (https://www.tspn.org/essence-sign-up-forms) and select the county or counties for which they would like to receive reports.

TSPN thanks all its staff and volunteers who have helped promote the program, and it extends a special thanks to TSPN ESSENCE Director Shauna Greer for her diligence in managing and transmitting the alerts.

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TCCY Releases 2024 State of the Child Report

January 29, 2025

The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth (TCCY) has released its 2024 State of the Child in Tennessee report, which provides an annual overview of the well-being of children, youth and families in Tennessee through the available data spanning maternal and prenatal health to youth aging out of foster care. The report includes some statistics of interest related to youth suicide: From 2019-2022, there were 146 suicide deaths among children aged 9 -17. 51 percent of the deaths resulted from firearms, 40 percent were from suffocation (which includes hanging) and 7 percent were poisonings. The suicide rate among children aged 9-17 rose from 4.1 to 4.9 per 100,000 population between 2019 and 2022, even as national rates among this cohort held steady. Children in this age group are more likely to die by firearm suicide in Tennessee than the nation at large (2.4 deaths vs. 1.9 deaths per 100,000 for the years 2019-22). This also holds true for young adults aged 18-24 (12.4 vs 8.8 per 100,000). In 2022, Tennessee had the 15th highest rate of suicides among ages 9-17 and the 5th highest rate of firearm suicides among the same ages. In 2022, one in three high school students who had attempted suicide in the previous 12 months reported that they had asked someone for help such as a doctor, a counselor, or a hotline prior to their attempt. Established by the Tennessee General Assembly as a permanent commission, TCCY is the state’s centralized informational resource and advocacy agency for timely, fact-based information to aid policymaking and coordination of resources. Read the full report at tn.gov/tccy/stateofthechild .

29% Fewer Suicide Attempts: A Breakthrough in Youth Suicide Prevention

By Alisa LaPolt • January 29, 2025

A new study funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (AJPM) shows that Sources of Strength substantially reduced suicide attempts by 29% among high school students. Suicide is a leading cause of death in TN for children ages 10-14, according to new data from the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH). Programs such as Sources of Strength, which TSPN promotes in coordination with TDH, are recommended to provide upstream support. Key findings from the study, aside from the reduction in suicide attempts, are its ability to help diverse communities and the value of peer leaders as agents of change and connection in their schools and communities. Sources of Strength's press release summarizing the study is available at https://tinyurl.com/4ket9dme . The full text of the paper published in AJPM is available on the journal's website . TSPN invites schools, churches, youth centers, and other youth-serving agencies in rural Tennessee to bring Sources of Strength to their children and communities. Full information about Sources of Strength is available on the TSPN website: https://www.tspn.org/sources-of-strength .