Manchester’s suicide rate increases, highest in county
Chelsea Hospital is running two free online mental health first aid training sessions this month.
by Sara Swanson
The Washtenaw County Health Department is releasing a new Suicide Report detailing local suicide data trends through 2024. While the county’s overall rate has decreased and the suicide rate among Washtenaw residents continues to remain below both the Michigan and national suicide completion rates, the Manchester area’s rate increased and once again is the highest in the county. From 2023 to 2024, there was a 12.5% decrease in the rate of suicide completions in Washtenaw County but a 66% increase in the Manchester area.
“In 2024, our suicide completion rate reached the lowest rate since 2018,” says Deanna Price, MS, health promotion coordinator with Washtenaw County Health Department. “Our local suicide completions have declined each year since 2021. While a single suicide completion is too many, we are grateful to see a decrease in 2024.” Washtenaw County overall went from 10.4 suicide completions per 100,000 people in 2023, down to 9.1 suicide completions per 100,000 people in 2024.
In Manchester the numbers show a different story compared to the rest of the county. When looking at data by zip code there is high variability in year-to-year data so the health department looks at 3-year-average rates. In the Manchester area (48158), our 2019 to 2021 rate was 22.4 suicide completions per 100,000 people, our 2020 to 2022 rate was 18.2 suicide completions per 100,000 people, our 2021 to 2023 rate was 13.6 suicide completions per 100,000 people, and our most recent rate, 2022 to 2024, is 22.6 suicide completions per 100,000 people. This is by far the highest rate in the county with the next highest (and only other zip code above the “healthy people goal” of 12.8) being Dexter with a rate of 16.2 suicide completions per 100,000 people. By contrast, Whitmore Lake, who also was identified in the last report as concerning with a rate above the healthy people goal, dropped to 2.4 suicide completions per 100,000 people.
Obviously the 48158 zip code does not have 100,000 people and we did not have an average of 22 completed suicides per year, our population is much closer to 7,500 people and the Manchester area has an average of one or two completed suicides per year on average. What the rate out of 100,000 does is lets us compare our suicide rate to zip codes with much large populations. Chelsea’s zip code has almost twice the population of Manchester’s. If you took Chelsea’s zip code and divided it in half, those two areas of Chelsea would have close to the same population as Manchester. Over the last three years each of those two halves of Chelsea would have each had 2 completed suicides. Whitmore Lake’s zip code also has almost twice the population of Manchester and if you divided Whitmore Lake’s population in half, over the last three years, one half would have had one completed suicide and the other half would have had zero. By contrast, over the last three years, Manchester has had 5 completed suicides.
It is important to note that this data is only through 2024 and there have been local efforts to address the need for suicide prevention here in the Manchester area in 2025 including online mental health and suicide prevention training programs run by the Chelsea Hospital and an in-person suicide-prevention training program for community members organized by the Community Bible Church held in March. These efforts are not yet reflected in this data. We reached out to Washtenaw County Community Mental Health and the County Commissioners to ask about Washtenaw County efforts to address Manchester’s suicide rate but did not receive responses before publication.
We reported in 2023 that the Manchester area was one of the two areas in the county with the highest rates of suicide by gun. That same report showed that it was older, white men in rural areas who were using guns in suicide attempts. This most recent report shows that in 2024 older, white men made up the majority of completed suicides overall in Washtenaw County.
In 2024, 34 Washtenaw County residents died by suicide (note that all 2024 data is preliminary). 85% of these deaths were among white residents. Firearms remain the leading method of suicide in Washtenaw County, accounting for 46% of deaths from 2022 to 2024. The proportion of suicide completions involving firearms has increased from 49% in 2023 to 53% in 2024. Overall, suicide completions continue to be more common among males, including firearm-related suicides. From 2022 to 2024, 85% of firearm-related suicides involved men and men made up 74% of suicide deaths in 2024. From 2023 to 2024, suicide rates among residents under 25 years old decreased by 57%. Rates among those aged 65 and older also declined, dropping by 50%. In contrast, rates increased by 27% among residents aged 45 to 64.
The Manchester area does not have 22.6 suicides per year on average. This is a rate that allows for comparison between zipcodes with varying populations.
What can we do?
“Mental health treatment and support saves lives,” says Lisa deRamos, communications coordinator with the Washtenaw County Health Department. “Suicide is preventable, and everyone should take mental health concerns seriously. Reach out for help if you need it or if you are concerned for someone else.”
One way to do this is by getting trained in mental health first aid. Chelsea Hospital is running two free online mental health first aid training sessions this month.
Youth Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among youth. You’ll build skills and confidence you need to support youth in your community. Learners complete a two-hour, self-paced online course and participate in one 5-hour, in-person, instructor-led training. The location is virtual and takes place on July 22 from 10am to 3pm. The course is open to anyone 18 and older and is free for all participants. Registration is required and closes July 18 at 5pm. To register, visit tinyurl.com/ymhfa0722.
In addition, there is a Mental Health First Aid Training that teaches participants how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among adults. Learners complete a 2-hour, self-paced online course and participate in 5 hours of instructor-led training. This course is also virtual and split across two sessions on July 9 from 5:30pm to 8pm and July 16 from 5:30pm to 8pm. Learners must attend both sessions. Registration is required and closes July 7 at 5pm. To register visit tinyurl.com/mhfa0709.
For more information about either training, email sarah.wilczynski@trinity-health.org.
What else can we do?
To prevent firearm deaths and injuries, the Health Department has free gun locks available to community members. Visit the Health Department (555 Towner in Ypsilanti) during business hours to pick one up from the clinic reception desk.
The Wish You Knew campaign works to reduce mental health stigma and promote resources for youth and families. Driven by community conversations and funded by the Washtenaw County Mental Health and Public Safety Preservation Millage, the campaign aims to spark honest and supportive conversations about mental health between youth and adults.
Washtenaw Alive is the suicide prevention collaborative of Washtenaw County. The coalition meets virtually on Zoom every third Thursday of the month at 12pm. New members, collaborators, and guest speakers are always welcome.
Suicide is preventable and help is available. Anyone in Washtenaw County can call Community Mental Health 24/7 with any mental health questions or concerns: 734-544-3050.
If you feel suicidal, call 988, text 988, or visit https://988lifeline.org/chat/ for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also text HELLO to 741741 (Crisis Text Line).
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911.
It’s important to know the warning signs for those at risk of suicide, including:
- Talking about wanting to die, feeling hopeless or having no purpose, feeling trapped or in unbearable pain, or being a burden to others
- Looking for a way to kill oneself
- Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs
- Acting anxious, agitated, or reckless
- Sleeping too little or too much
- Withdrawing or feeling isolated
- Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
- Displaying extreme mood swings
If someone you know shows warning signs of suicide, assume you are the only one who will reach out. Take them seriously, talk to them in private, and ask directly if they are thinking about suicide. See more recommendations on what to do if someone is at risk for suicide here.
Washtenaw County Health Department
The Washtenaw County Health Department promotes health and works to prevent disease and injury in our community. Our mission is to assure, in partnership with the community, the conditions necessary for people to live healthy lives through prevention and protection programs.
Visit us at washtenaw.org/health or call 734-544-6700. The Health Department also provides frequent social media updates (@wcpublichealth) and sends regular email updates; sign up at bit.ly/WCHD555.
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