1

Office of Suicide Prevention Fact Sheet

The Office of Suicide Prevention’s mission is to serve as the lead entity for suicide prevention intervention supports and postvention efforts in Colorado; collaborating with communities statewide to reduce the impact of suicide. 

Housed in the Prevention Services Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and  Environment, the Office of Suicide Prevention (OSP) is the designated lead entity for suicide prevention efforts in the state per C.R.S. §25-1.5-111(1)(w)(II)(a).

Colorado data summary 

Suicide fatality rates in Colorado remained statistically steady in 2024 compared to 2023. 

  • In 2024, there were 883 working-age adult (ages 25-64) suicide deaths.
    • Adults ages 25-64 continue to have the highest rates and counts of suicide deaths, representing 69% of all suicide fatalities.
  • Men represent 77% of suicide fatalities across all age groups.  
    • Men represent a disproportionate number of suicide deaths.
  • 54% of suicide deaths in 2024 used a firearm, making firearms the most frequently used method in suicide deaths
    • Males are more likely to use a firearm in a suicide than females. 61% of male suicides use a firearm, while 32% of female suicides use a firearm.
  • In 2024, the age-adjusted suicide fatality rate in Colorado was 20.83 per 100,000 people.

  • The suicide rate for youth ages 10-18 declined to 5.85 per 100,000 people, the lowest rate observed for this age group since 2007.

    • The 2024 rate for youth ages 10-18 was a statistically significant decline from a peak rate of 12.91 per 100,000 people for this age group in 2020. 
       
    Explore the Colorado Suicide Fatality Data Dashboard

Priority populations

The Office of Suicide Prevention (OSP) recommends that Colorado communities implement tailored comprehensive suicide prevention strategies that support each of OSP’s priority populations.

Youth

0-18 years old

Young adults

19-24 years old

Working-age adults

25-64 years old

Older adults

65+

Veterans

LGBTQIA2S+

Communities

People of Color

(Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Hispanic/Latinx, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern/North African/Arab, Multi-Racial populations, and other identities not listed).

High-risk

Industries

Rural

Communities

The Office of Suicide Prevention grounds its strategies in research that recognizes the systemic causes behind many kinds of injury and violence. OSP works alongside community partners to reduce suicidal despair, attempts, and deaths by identifying and implementing strategies that prioritize equity.

Priorities and programs

The Six Pillars of the Office of Suicide Prevention are:

Pillar 1

Connectedness

Pillar 2

Economic stability and supporters

Pillar 3

Education and awareness

Pillar 4

Access to safer suicide care

Pillar 5

Lethal means safety

Pillar 6

Postvention

In every Colorado County you will find the Office of Suicide Prevention's suicide prevention initiatives including:

  • Collaborative partnerships and strategic suicide prevention plans for Colorado. 
  • Leading the Suicide Prevention Commission and its public workgroups. 
  • Funding highly impacted counties to create sustainable local infrastructure through the Colorado-National Collaborative (CNC) comprehensive suicide prevention initiative.
  • Funding youth-specific programs, including suicide prevention school grantees, model school suicide prevention policies, and Sources of Strength.
  • Operating the Veteran Strong and Man Therapy programs.
  • Hosting Community Helper (formerly known as Gatekeeper) trainings, including:
    • Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR)
    • Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)
    • Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA)
    • LivingWorks Start
  • Creating the Zero Suicide health systems quality improvement framework and the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) clinical framework.
  • Establishing the Colorado Gun Shop Project and other lethal means safety initiatives 
  • Supporting the Follow-Up Project to support people after a suicide attempt or behavioral health crisis.
  • Connecting suicidal youth to receive suicide-specific no-cost therapy at the Second Wind Fund.
  • Improving data collection through the Suicide Death Investigation Form.
  • Creating and offering coroner mini-grants to encourage utilization of the Suicide Death Investigation Form and to provide postvention resources.
  • Providing guidance and support to the media in following safe reporting recommendations.

Colorado Suicide Prevention Commission 

The Colorado Suicide Prevention Commission provides public, private, and nonprofit leadership and recommendations for suicide prevention efforts and serves in an advisory capacity to OSP. The 22 commissioners represent Coloradans with lived experience, those who work in suicide prevention organizations and programs, and those who come from communities and sectors that experience disproportionate impacts of suicide.