The suicide rate among Wyomingites dropped in 2022, a positive reversal of a trend that has seen the Cowboy State lead in deaths by suicide in the country. Fewer deaths, births, marriages and divorces were recorded among Wyoming residents in 2022 compared to the previous year according to official records from the Wyoming Department of Health.
In Park County, the number of suicides was 6 in 2022 compared to 2021 total 14 and 12 in 2020. Andi Summerville, Executive Director of the Wyoming Association of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers says there are a number of reasons to take into consideration on the declining rate of suicides in our state. “988 [the new nationwide suicide hotline] and mental health in general, coming out of the [COVID] pandemic. Also, financial recovery is a factor in possibly reducing the number of suicides not only Park County but across the state.”
In 2022, there were 149 suicides recorded among Wyoming residents compared to 190 in 2021 (+8 over 2020). Previously, there were 182 in 2020 (+12 over 2019), 170 in 2019 (+22 over 2018), 148 in 2018 (-8 over 2017), 156 in 2017 (+13 over 2016), 143 in 2016 (-12 over 2015), 155 in 2015 (+35 over 2014), 120 in 2014 (-8 over 213) and 128 in 2013 (-44 over 2012).
“There was a notable reduction in suicides last year. This is certainly something we welcome,” says the WDH director Stefan Johansson.
Johansson noted Wyoming’s small population can often lead to significant swings between years with certain types of statistics. “That’s why it’s important to look at longer term trends and rates in addition to year over year numbers. Between years, sometimes there are increases and sometimes there are reductions,” he said.
Wyoming’s data show about 72 percent of suicide deaths in 2022 were due to firearms, with 22 percent due to hanging and 4 percent due to poisoning.
Guy Beaudoin, Vital Statistics Services deputy state registrar with WDH, noted deaths linked to overdoses have also increased between some years and decreased between others. “In 2022 there was a slight decrease as compared to the year before based on death certificate data,” he said.
In 2022, there were 93 overdose deaths recorded among Wyoming residents compared to 98 in 2021 (+5 over 2020). Previously, there were 90 in 2020 (+9 over 2019), 81 in 2019 (+16 over 2018), 65 in 2018 (+5 over 2017), 60 in 2017 (-34 over 2016), 94 in 2016 (-1 over 2015), 95 in 2015 (-12 over 2014), 107 in 2014 (+11 over 2013) and 96 in 2013 (-3 over 2012).
Among the reported overdose deaths in 2022, 29 percent were linked with prescription drugs, 59 percent with illicit drugs and 10 percent involved a combination. Opioids can be either prescription drugs or illicit drugs and were connected to 72 of the reported overdose deaths last year. Fentanyl was linked with 48 of the deaths and methamphetamine with 47. “Adding these numbers gives you a higher number than the total because of drug definitions and because overdoses often involve ‘combined’ drugs or multiple drugs,” Beaudoin said.
The top five causes of death in Wyoming for 2022, listed in order, were heart diseases, cancers, various types of accidents and adverse effects, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and related conditions and COVID-19. COVID-19 had been the third-leading cause of death in both 2020 and 2021.
“When it comes to new babies, in 2022 we returned to the ongoing significant downward trend we’d seen over several years with the exception of an increase in 2021,” Beaudoin said.
There were 6,050 births among Wyoming resident mothers in 2022 compared with 6,236 in 2021, 6,133 in 2020 and 6,568 in 2019 before the pandemic. The high over the past decade was in 2015 with 7,662 resident births.
VSS also holds marriage and divorce records. There were 4,227 marriages recorded in Wyoming last year compared to 4,284 in 2021, 4,009 in 2020 and 4,064 in 2019 before the pandemic. As far as divorces, there were 1,905 finalized in 2022 compared with 2,165 in 2021, 2,220 divorces in 2020 and 2,241 in 2019 before the pandemic.
The records are considered provisional at this point; minor adjustments are expected as numbers are finalized.
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