Suicide Facts
Fatal Suicidal Behavior
In 2004:
- Suicide was the eleventh leading cause of death for all ages (CDC 2005).
- Suicides accounted for 1.4% of all deaths in the U.S. (CDC 2005).
- More than 32,000 suicides occurred in the U.S. This is the equivalent of 89 suicides per day; one suicide every 16 minutes or 11.05 suicides per 100,000 population (CDC 2005).
- The National Violent Death Reporting System examined toxicology tests of those who committed suicide in 13 states: 33.3% tested positive for alcohol; 16.4% for opiates; 9.4% for cocaine; 7.7% for marijuana; and 3.9% for amphetamines (Karch et al. 2006).
Nonfatal Suicidal Thoughts and Behavior
- Among young adults ages 15 to 24 years old, there is 1
suicide for every 100-200 attempts (Goldsmith et al.
2002).
- Among adults ages 65 years and older, there is 1 suicide for every 4 suicide attempts (Goldsmith et al. 2002)
- In 2005, 16.9% of U.S. high school students reported that they had seriously considered attempting suicide during the 12 months preceding the survey. More than 8% of students reported that they had actually attempted suicide one or more times during the same period (Eaton et al. 2006).
Gender Disparities
- Males take their own lives at nearly four times the rate of females and represent 78.8% of all U.S. suicides (CDC 2005).
- During their lifetime, women attempt suicide about two to three times as often as men (Krug et al. 2002).
- Suicide is the eighth leading cause of death for males and the sixteenth leading cause for females (CDC 2005).
- Among males, adults ages 75 years and older have the highest rate of suicide (rate 37.4 per 100,000
population) (CDC 2005).
- Among females, those in their 40s and 50s have the highest rate of suicide (rate 8.0 per 100,000 population) (CDC 2005).
- Firearms are the most commonly used method of suicide among males (56.8%) (CDC 2005).
- Poisoning is the most common method of suicide for females (37.8%) (CDC 2005).
Racial and Ethnic Disparities
- Among American Indians/Alaska Natives ages 15- to 34-years, suicide is the second leading cause of death
(CDC 2005).
- Suicide rates among American Indian/Alaskan Native adolescents and young adults ages 15 to 34 (21.4 per
100,000) are 1.9 times higher than the national average for that age group (11.5 per 100,000). (CDC 2005).
- Hispanic female high school students in grades 9-12 reported a higher percentage of suicide attempts
(14.9%) than their White, non-Hispanic (9.3%) or Black, non-Hispanic (9.8%) counterparts. (Eaton et al.
2006).
Age Group Differences
- Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 25-34 year olds and the third leading cause of death
among 15- and 24-year olds (CDC 2005).
- Among 15- to 24-year olds, suicide accounts for 12.9% of all deaths annually (CDC 2005).
- The rate of suicide for adults aged 65 years and older was 14.3 per 100,000 (CDC 2005).
Suicide-Related Behaviors among
U.S. High School Students
In 2005:
- 16.9% of students, grade 9-12, seriously considered suicide in the previous 12 months (21.8% of females and 12.0% of males) (Eaton et al. 2006).
- 8.4% of students reported making at least one suicide attempt in the previous 12 months (10.8% of females and 6.0% of males) (Eaton et al. 2006).
- 2.3% of students reported making at least one suicide attempt in the previous 12 months that required
medical attention (2.9% of females and 1.8% of males) (Eaton et al. 2006).
References
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting
System (WISQARS) [Online]. (2005). National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC (producer). Available from URL: www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars/default.htm.
2. Karch D, Crosby A, Simon T. Toxicology testing and results for suicide victims-13 States, 2004. MMWR
2006; 55:1245-8.
3. Eaton DK, Kann L, Kinchen SA, Ross JG, Hawkins J, Harris WA, et al. Youth risk behavior
surveillance-United States, 2005. MMWR 2006; 55(No. SS-5):1-108.
4. Goldsmith SK, Pellmar TC, Kleinman AM, Bunney WE, editors. Reducing suicide: a national imperative.
Washington (DC): National Academy Press; 2002.
5. Krug EG, Dahlberg LL, Mercy JA, Zwi A, Lozano R, editors. World report on violence and health. Geneva:
World Health Organization; 2002.
6. McCaig LF, Nawar EN. National hospital ambulatory medical care survey: 2004 emergency department
summary. Advance data from vital and health statistics. Hyattsville (MD): National Center for
Health Statistics; 2006. Report no. 372.
For more information, contact your local Mental Health Association, community mental health center, or one of the following:
National Mental Health Association
http://www.nmha.org
American Association of Suicidology
http://www.suicidology.org
Center for Mental Health Services
http://www.mentalhealth.org
Suicide Prevention Advocacy Network
http://www.spanusa.org
Content Source: Center for Disease Control
Suicide: Facts at a Glance 2007
Page last modified or reviewed by AH on March 26, 2011
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