Geographic patterns of youth suicide in San Diego County.

Abstract

Objective: Our objectives were to evaluate for any cluster patterns of youth suicide deaths and characterize the level of child opportunity in the communities where suicide deaths occurred.

Methods: Decedents <18 years were identified from San Diego County Medical Examiner death reports from 2000-2020. We mapped decedents' residential ZIP codes and calculated suicide rates per 10,000 youths. ZIP codes identified in overlapping spatial statistical approaches - the spatial scan statistic and Local Moran with EB rates - were considered a cluster for the final analysis. We obtained Child Opportunity Index (COI) scores for each ZIP code to determine if there were differences in: 1) ZIP codes with suicide deaths compared to ZIPs with no deaths 2) differences in distribution of suicide death rates across quintiles of COI.

Results: Scan statistic identified 25 ZIP codes within a cluster (RR 2.6, p = 0.00066). Local Moran with EB rates identified two ZIP codes as a high-high cluster (p < 0.05). The location identified as a cluster in both approaches was in Alpine. The median COI for ZIP codes with suicide deaths was higher at 63.5 (IQR 38-83) compared to 47 (IQR 22.5-75.5) for ZIP codes without suicide deaths. There was a significant difference in suicide rates between Very Low and Moderate levels of Overall opportunity (p =.013).

Conclusion: We identified a cluster of youth suicides in one of the most populous counties in the country. These findings serve to inform policies and prevention programs that aim to mitigate youth suicide mortality.