More young people in Alaska died by suicide in 2025 than in any other year in the past decade, according to new data released by the state's Section of Epidemiology.
Boys died by suicide at more than four times the rate of girls, but girls attempted suicide at much higher rates. The average age of death was 16, and Alaska Native youth are disproportionately impacted, according to the data.
Tara Schmidt, who works for PC CARES, (Promoting Community Conversations About Research for Effective Solutions) a program that co-develops suicide prevention and response with Alaska Native communities, said she's deeply saddened by the data. She emphasized that reducing access to lethal means of suicide is a way to prevent deaths.
"With young people, sometimes things feel really big and can come on really quickly," she said. "So, if they have access to some type of means of suicide as soon as that impulse reaches them, then that can lead to a suicide death or an attempt."
She said for families with a young person, increasing how long it would take to access a gun, ammunition or medications, even by a few minutes, can prevent an attempt. She pointed to research showing that most young people who attempt suicide considered it for less than an hour, with one in four considering it for fewer than five minutes.
She said families can consider installing collapsing closet rods, taking locks off doors and reducing time kids spend alone, especially when they're showing signs of struggling. She also said asking someone directly if they are thinking of suicide does not make it more likely they'll consider it, but gives them a chance to talk about it if they are.
She also said it's important to make sure that communities direct responses to suicide and prevention. Suicide is complex and not caused by one single thing, she said, but in Alaska it's important to acknowledge the harms of colonization.
"We have experienced, in Alaska, culture loss, disruption in social support systems and really a mismatch between who is providing mental health services and the realities and experiences of folks who are trying to get help for this," she said.
She said adults can also check in with kids, without expectations, to remind them that they have support. That can make young people more likely to reach out if they're in crisis.
If you're in crisis or want help, you can call or text 988 to get immediate support; you can call 211 to be connected to treatments proven to help with suicide prevention. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has information on ways to keep kids safer and identify warning signs.
