Suicide Databases

Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is a national survey that asks public school students in grades 6-12 about risky or unsafe things they do. This survey asks students if they have considered suicide. See Rhode Island data here.

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is a national survey of adults, age 18 or older. The goal of the BRFSS is to learn about health problems, including mental health problems, that people have. The answers people give help the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) and community partners decide what problems are most common and what we can do to help. See Rhode Island data here.

Rhode Island Violent Death Reporting System (RIVDRS) is part of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Violent Death Reporting System. RIVDRS collects a lot of data and details on all suicide deaths in Rhode Island. The information is from death certificates, police records, and medical examiner reports. The circumstances of the death are collected to try to understand risk factors that may have led to suicide. We share what we learn with our partners and with anyone who wants to prevent violence in their community. More information about RIVDRS can be found here.

Behavioral Health in Rhode Island Report is a report of the State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup, produced for the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities, and Hospitals (BHDDH). It includes data on risk and protective factors of substance use and misuse, mental illness, and suicide and mental health. See the 2019 report here.

Rhode Island Student Survey (RISS) is a project among BHDDH, RIDOH, and the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE). The RISS is a risk and prevalence survey for youth in middle and high school. It explores substance use, bullying, depression, suicide, and violence. See the 2018 RISS Summary here.

Rhode Island Young Adult Survey (RIYAS) is a behavioral health survey for adults age 18-25 who live in Rhode Island for at least part of the year. It started in 2020 and is sponsored by the BHDDH. It has information about substance use and mental health issues in this age group. Read about the 2020 RIYAS here.

Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data are from pregnant women, new mothers, and their infants. PRAMS has information about experiences with prenatal care stress, domestic violence, feelings about pregnancy, support from friends/family, and maternal depression. Read more about PRAMS and data from Rhode Island here.

Hospital Discharge Data are reported to RIDOH four times a year and have information about patients’ diagnoses after an emergency department visit or after being admitted to the hospital. These data are usually used with other data sources to help us understand why people attempt suicide and other reasons for suicide-related hospital visits over time. Read more here.

Rhode Island Vital Records have information from death certificates, which can be used to analyze suicide deaths over time. Vital Records data do not have the details that are in RIVDRS. Vital records are updated more often than RIVDRS, so it helps us understand general demographic information, causes of death, and trends over time. Basic vital records data can be seen here.

Emergency Department Syndromic Surveillance data are analyzed as part of a CDC special initiative to help us quickly detect any increase in non-fatal suicide-related outcomes. Collecting data on suicide-related visits, like visits for suicidal ideation (thoughts about suicide) and suicide attempts, almost as soon as they happen can help us quickly learn about new trends in suicidal behavior and how to prevent it.