Understanding Student Mortality in Alabama: Statistics, Prevention, and Safety Initiatives

Alabama, like many other states, is actively working to understand and address the factors contributing to student mortality. This article examines available statistics, prevention programs, and safety initiatives aimed at protecting young people in Alabama, focusing primarily on suicide prevention and campus safety.

Suicide Prevention Efforts in Alabama

Recognizing the critical need to address youth suicide, Alabama has implemented the Alabama Youth Suicide Prevention Program (YSPP). This statewide initiative aims to reduce suicide deaths and non-fatal suicide attempts among adolescents ages 10-24, encompassing all races and ethnicities. The YSPP involves collaboration among various sectors, including:

Schools and educational institutions
Juvenile justice systems
Foster care systems
Substance abuse and mental health programs
Other child and youth-supporting organizations

The Alabama Department of Public Health partners with the Alabama Suicide Prevention and Resource Coalition, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and five crisis centers across the state to provide behavioral health services at both state and community levels.

Goals of the Alabama Youth Suicide Prevention Program

The YSPP set ambitious goals to be achieved. These goals include decreasing:

The rate of adolescents (ages 15-24) who complete suicide from 11.7 to 9.2 per 100,000.
The percentage of high school students who seriously considered attempting suicide from 18.1 to 13.1 percent.
The percentage of high school students who made a plan about how they would attempt suicide from 14.3 to 13.8 percent.
The percentage of high school students who attempted suicide from 10.4 to 8.9 percent.
The percentage of high school students who attempted suicide that resulted in an injury, poisoning, or overdose that had to be treated by a doctor or nurse from 3.6 to 2.1 percent.

To gather data on the 18-24 age range, which was previously lacking, questions were added to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to establish a baseline.

Strategies for Achieving Suicide Prevention Goals

The YSPP employs a multifaceted approach, incorporating community and health systems components:

Gatekeeper Training: Training 19,500 individuals in community and hospital settings to identify and assist those at risk.
Prevention Curricula: Providing prevention education to 17,500 teachers and students in schools.
Crisis Hotlines and Referral Networks: Operating crisis hotlines and a referral network to link emergency departments and behavioral health service providers, ensuring continuity of care for at-risk patients.
Statewide Education and Awareness Campaign: Implementing an action-based campaign based on safe suicide messaging principles.

The program's performance is evaluated through quantitative and qualitative measures, including pre, post, and follow-up surveys to assess knowledge and educational efforts. Program activities are continuously monitored and evaluated to track outcomes.

Progress and Challenges in Suicide Prevention

The ADPH’s Alabama Youth Suicide Prevention Program (AYSPP) completed its 5-year funding period. During this time, over 25,000 individuals were trained in gatekeeper programs. Trainings decreased after March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but were increased by virtual platforms.

Two curricula were provided by program partners: Hazelden’s Lifelines training and Response Suicide Prevention Program. In total, over 16,000 individuals were trained in Hazelden’s Lifelines, and almost 8,000 individuals were trained in Response Suicide Prevention.

The West Central District (WCD) aimed to reduce suicide attempts and suicides by increasing awareness in adolescents and pregnant women. They implemented the Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR) curriculum, designed for high school age individuals and older, and RESPONSE curriculum, designed for middle school age children and teens. A total of 245 youth and adults participated in QPR trainings. COVID-19 caused disruptions and delays, preventing the full implementation of QPR trainings and the implementation of RESPONSE trainings.

Read also: Looking at Alabama's Schedule

Campus Safety and Crime Statistics at the University of Alabama

While not directly related to student mortality, campus safety is a crucial aspect of student well-being. The University of Alabama Police Department (UAPD) maintains a crime log to record all reported criminal incidents and alleged criminal incidents. It is important to note that not all incidents listed on the crime log are included in the University’s Annual Security Report or are actively investigated by law enforcement. Incidents listed as "Special Inquiry" may not be included on the crime log if they lack a criminal nature.

Understanding the Crime Log

The crime log serves as a record of reported incidents, including:

Crimes that occurred on campus
Crimes in off-campus buildings owned or controlled by UA
Crimes on off-campus property owned or controlled by UA
Crimes on public property within or immediately adjacent to the campus
Reports of crimes within UAPD’s patrol jurisdiction

Incidents are posted within two business days of being reported to UAPD. Changes to a crime's disposition are updated unless they occur after 60 days. The Community Relations Division maintains the crime log.

Types of Incidents Reported

A review of the crime log reveals a variety of incidents reported on and around the University of Alabama campus. These include, but are not limited to:

Theft of Property (various degrees)
Public Intoxication
Unlawful Possession of Marijuana
Harassment and Harassing Communications
Unlawful Possession or Receipt of Controlled Substances
Assault (various degrees)
Criminal Mischief
Burglary
Disorderly Conduct
Criminal Trespass
Illegal Possession or Fraudulent Use of Credit or Debit Card
Possession of Burglar’s Tools
Obstruction-Governmental Operations, Resisting Arrest
Sexual Abuse
Extortion
DV Harassment (Domestic Violence)
Criminal Tampering
Theft of Lost Property
Indecent Exposure
Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
DUI Alcohol and Drugs

Additional Reporting Mechanisms

Many incidents are reported through Campus Security Authorities (CSA) and may not be reported to UAPD. These incidents are tracked in the CSA Report Log, which is separate from law enforcement reports and is used for crime statistics tracking.

Other Factors Affecting Student Well-being

Beyond suicide prevention and campus safety, other factors influence student well-being and mortality risks. These include access to healthcare, mental health services, and risky behaviors.

Access to Healthcare

Data from the Data Resource Center for CAHMI indicates that 70 percent of adolescents, ages 12 through 17, had a preventive medical visit. This is down from 2016-2017 when 76.3 percent of Alabama’s adolescents, ages 12 through 17, had a preventive medical visit in the past year.

The EPSDT program, mandated by Medicaid, aims to identify and address potential health problems in children and adolescents through screenings, diagnosis, and treatment. EPSDT visits ensure that children and adolescents receive appropriate preventive, dental, mental health, developmental, and specialty services.

Mental Health

According to CDC, 1 in 6 children, ages 2-8, has a mental, behavioral or developmental disorder. Mental health issues often co-occur with substance abuse, violence, anxiety, depression and child suicide.

According to the Data Resource CAHMI, over half of Alabama’s children and adolescents, ages 3 through 17, with a diagnosed mental/behavioral health condition received treatment or counseling.

Risky Behaviors

The Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Branch (APPB) works to reduce the incidence of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among Alabama youth ages 10-19. APPB's work is made possible through federal grants awarded to the ADPH from the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth, and Families.

The Alabama Sexual Risk Avoidance Education Program (ASRAE) provides evidence-based abstinence education to middle and high school aged youth in school and community settings. The Alabama Personal Responsibility Education Program (APREP) provides abstinence and contraceptive education to high-risk youth in community settings.

Demographic Shifts and Economic Factors

Alabama is experiencing demographic shifts, with death rates surpassing birth rates. Many Alabama students are being drawn to other Southern states with major cities that have more cultural cachet, like Dallas, Houston and Atlanta. Alabama has reacted to these changes by promoting its strengths, like low cost of living and natural beauty.

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