DENVER (Aug. 25, 2025) -The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Office of Suicide Prevention announced today that the suicide rate for youth ages 10-18 has fallen to its lowest level since 2007. In 2024, there were 39 suicide deaths among youth ages 10-18, resulting in a suicide rate of 5.85 deaths per 100,000 youth ages 10-18. That is down from the peak youth suicide rate in 2020 at 12.91 deaths per 100,000 youth, which represented 87 youth deaths by suicide that year.
“The drop in youth suicides is encouraging, because we see that our shared efforts in communities across Colorado are indeed having a positive impact on our youth,” said Jill Hunsaker Ryan, CDPHE executive director. “We have been intentional about the actions we are taking in Colorado to prevent suicide and the data indicates that we are making a difference.”
While it is challenging to pinpoint the exact reasons for the drop in youth suicide rates, the department attributes much of this drop to evidence-based programming, plus statewide partnerships and grantees working to reach youth and reduce suicide attempts.
“One youth suicide is too many, but the decrease in youth suicide in 2024 is promising,” said Lena Heilmann, director of CDPHE’s Office of Suicide Prevention. “We hope to build on this progress as kids head back to school, where they will have more opportunities to connect with a broader network of caring adults and their peers.”
The Office of Suicide Prevention and partner agencies such as the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) have made significant strides to decrease youth suicide in Colorado through impactful initiatives such as:
CDPHE
- Sources of Strength - a universal suicide prevention program designed to build and improve relationships among youth and trusted adults.
- The Colorado Follow-Up Project - provides critical services to people, including youth, who have been discharged from an emergency department after a mental health crisis or suicide attempt.
- The Second Wind Fund - provides free suicide-specific therapy to underinsured or uninsured youth.
- The Gun Shop Project - funds trusted messengers to encourage gun shops, firing ranges, and firearm safety course instructors to promote best practices in firearm safety, such as safe gun storage.
BHA
- 988 Colorado - a service free to use and open to all for immediate, live, mental health support from a trained specialist.
- I Matter Colorado - providing free mental health sessions and resources to youth, including up to six free therapy sessions with a trained therapist.
- Colorado LIFTS (Linking Individuals and Families To Services) - a new statewide network that connects people who don’t have insurance or enough coverage with mental health, substance use, and crisis support.
Overall, Colorado’s number of suicide deaths was 1,306 in 2024. The age-adjusted suicide rate, which accounts for population, held steady at 20.83 per 100,000 people in 2023 and 2024, down from a peak of 22.64 per 100,000 people in 2021.
“We are proud of the progress we are making, and are committed to realizing similar decreases in suicide for people of all ages in Colorado,” said Heilmann.
The Office of Suicide Prevention encourages Coloradans to call or text 9-8-8, the Colorado Mental Health Line, if they are struggling with an emotional, mental health, or substance use concern. Learn more about the state’s comprehensive suicide prevention efforts on the Office of Suicide Prevention’s website.
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