Pima County suicide rate remains high

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - There’s new information on the suicide spike we've seen lately in Pima County. The Pima County Health Department says while it has not gotten worse, it remains high.

In March the department sent out an initial alert saying they had 15 suicides in two weeks. Now we’re learning two weeks after that, there were 13 more.

They say there has been a steady average of one suicide per day since the spike began in early March.

The Health Department says most of the suicides are in the 40-59 year old age range. They also found 79% had a confirmed mental illness or underlying medical condition.

They believe things like financial stress, isolation, and reduced access to resources are playing a role.

If you need help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255. You can also get more resources here.

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