Editor’s note: This article focuses on suicide, self-harm and other topics related to psychiatric distress. If you or a loved one is in crisis, call 988. Additional resources are available here .

Even as Washington’s overall suicide rates have fallen, they remain stubbornly high in an often overlooked group: Older adults.

In 2024, 216 people age 70 or older died by suicide in Washington, representing about 18% of the state’s total suicide deaths.

For the past 10 years, suicide rates in the 70+ population have consistently been above those in the general population. Between 2023 and 2024, the general population’s suicide rate fell from 15.4 to 14.4 per 100,000 people, but the rate for adults 70 and older rose from 20.5 to 22, state Department of Health data shows.

Experts attribute th

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