Suicide Awareness
Stats
Suicide rates increased by 36% between 2000 and 2022.
In 2022, suicide was responsible for 49,476 deaths — that’s 1 death every 11 minutes.
In 2022:
13.2 million adults seriously considered suicide
3.8 million planned an attempt
1.6 million attempted suicide
Suicide is the 9th leading cause of death in the U.S. overall.
Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among:
Children aged 10–14
Young adults aged 25–34
For every suicide death:
There are 11 emergency department visits for self-harm
52 suicide attempts
336 people who seriously considered suicide
An estimated 15% of auto accidents are believed to be suicide-related.
Suicides cost the U.S. over $5 billion per year in:
Healthcare expenses
Lost wages
Life loss impact
Facts
Suicide has a widespread emotional, physical, and financial impact on families and communities.
Survivors of suicide loss often face:
Prolonged grief
Shock and anger
Depression or anxiety
Suicidal thoughts of their own
Mental health resource shortages increase suicide risk.
Bullying in schools has led to a rise in suicide among younger children.
Feelings of hopelessness and isolation are starting at earlier ages.
The COVID-19 pandemic (beginning in 2019) intensified suicide risk, especially among teens, due to:
School closures
Increased isolation
Higher drug and alcohol use
Suicide can be prevented through:
Awareness and prevention programs
Increased access to healthcare and insurance
Destigmatizing conversations around suicide
Training for first responders and support systems
Lockboxes for guns and medications
Community kindness and connection
Suicidal Warning Signs
These signs may mean someone is at risk for suicide Risk is greater if a behavior is new or has increased dramatically, or seems to be related to a painful event, loss or change.
- Talking about wanting to die or to kill oneself, no sense of
- Looking for a way to kill oneself, such as searching online or buying a gun
- Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live
- Talking about feeling trapped or being in unbearable pain
- Talking about being a burden to others
- Recklessness or risky behavior
- Anxiety, agitation
- Feeling isolated, isolating
- Increased use of drugs and alcohol
Suicide Prevention
If you are seriously thinking about suicide at this time, here is what you need to do
Connect with someone:
If you are worried that you may lose control or do something to hurt yourself, you need to tell someone. Make sure that you are around someone you trust. If you don’t know or trust anyone, reach out to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255(TALK) They are available 24/7 and are completely confidential.
Make sure that your home is safe:
It is important that you remove anything that could hurt or kill you, such as pills, razon blades, knives and guns. If you are unable to do this, go to somewhere that you know is safe, such as a church, hospital or school.
