Suicides in Florida down 9% in 2020 despite pandemic stress, state data shows

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – During the recovery and reopening portion of Florida’s COVID-19 pandemic response, a particular importance for reopening was placed on the role it would have in helping to reduce the number of suicides across the state.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Suicide Prevention Declaration last year referred to a “concerning upward drift of suicide deaths over the past decade, especially now due to the projected mental health impacts associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida.” However, state data shows the true rate of suicides in Florida actually dropped by just over 9% from 2019 to 2020.

At an event in St. Petersburg in early 2021, the governor and his political allies in the Florida Legislature again referred to risks of suicide increasing during the ongoing pandemic. During the event, DeSantis signed an executive order that effectively ended all local COVID restrictions.

In fact, Florida saw a higher decrease in suicide rates than the national average, which came in at 6%, according to preliminary numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on by the Associated Press. The national trend showed the largest annual decline of suicides across the U.S. in 40 years.

Reopening Florida helped businesses in need, but the potential risk of increased suicides from the pandemic ended up an unfounded concern, at least when it comes to the numbers.

Here’s a look at the numbers in Florida and Tampa Bay to see how the suicide rate changed across the state during the COVID-19 pandemic. The numbers of suicides shown below are categorized as “all ages,” rather than splitting them by age group for each county.

Florida saw 314 fewer suicides during 2020. In Tampa Bay, here’s how that broke down county by county:

While every county in Tampa Bay saw the suicide rate drop, not every county in Florida reflected the statewide trend.

Bay, Collier, Dixie, Escambia, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Holmes, Indian River, Jackson, Lee, Leon, Levy, Marion, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Seminole, Taylor, Union, Wakulla and Washington counties all saw increases in suicides during the pandemic.

As Florida continues to reopen and vaccinations continue, it remains to be seen if the suicide rates will continue to fall or if they’ll rise again as the state returns to normal.

If you or someone you love is battling depression or thoughts of suicide, help is always available by calling the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay at 211 or the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).