Important Facts

· Over 30,000 people in the United States die by suicide every year (versus about 20,000 homicides)

· More years of life are lost to suicide than to any other single cause except heart disease and cancer (1)

· A person dies by suicide about every 18 minutes in the United States, and attempts are estimated to occur every minute.

· Ninety percent of all people who die by suicide have a diagnosable and treatable mental disorder.

· There are four more male suicides for every female suicide, but twice as many females attempt suicide.


Facts about Youth

· Suicide is the 5th leading cause of death for 5-14 year olds.

· The fastest growing age group for suicide is 10-14 year olds.

· Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15-24 year olds.

· Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among college students (2)

· The suicide rate for white males between the ages of 15-24 has tripled since 1950 and for females it has doubled.

· Between 1980-1996, the suicide rate for African-American males from ages 15-19 doubled.


Facts about Older Adults

· Although the elderly (age 65 and older) comprise about 13% of the U.S. population, they account for over 18% of all suicides.

· Suicide rates for men go up with age, most significantly over 65.

· White men over 50 make up less than 1/4 of the population but represent almost 40 percent of all suicides.

· Suicide rates for women peak between 45-64 years old, and then again at 75 years old.


Depression, Alcohol, and Medical Illness

· Over 60 percent of people who take their lives suffer from depression.

· Thirty percent of all clinically depressed patients attempt suicide; more than half are successful.

· Alcoholism is a factor in about 30 percent of all completed suicides.

· Approximately 7 percent of people with alcohol dependence will die by suicide.

· People with AIDS have a suicide risk up to 20 times more likely than the average person.