Preventing Suicide

Most people are uncomfortable with the topic of suicide. Too often, victims are blamed and their families and friends are stigmatized. As a result, people do not communicate openly about suicide and an important public health problem is left shrouded in secrecy, limiting information needed for prevention research.

Suicide (i.e., taking one's own life) is a serious public health problem that affects people of all ages. For Americans, suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death. It resulted in 33,300 lives lost in 2006. The top 3 methods used in suicides included firearm (51%), suffocation (23%), and poisoning (18%).

Deaths from suicide are only part of the problem. More people survive suicide attempts than actually die. In 2007, 395,320 people received medical care for self-inflicted injuries at Emergency Departments across the United States.

Suicide affects all people, but some groups are at higher risk than others. Males are more likely than females to die from suicide. Of the reported suicides in 2006, 79% of the deaths were males and 21% were females. Females, however, are more likely to report attempting suicide than males. Cultural variations in suicide rates also exist, with Native American/Alaskan Natives having high rates of suicide-related fatalities. Youth, the elderly, and veterans are also vulnerable populations.
Several factors can put a person at risk for suicide. However, having these risk factors does not always mean that suicide will occur. Some of the risk factors identified by research include:

·             History of previous suicide attempts

·             Family history of suicide

·             History of depression or other mental illness

·             History of alcohol or drug abuse

·             Stressful life event or loss

·             Easy access to lethal methods

·             Exposure to the suicidal behavior of others

·             Incarceration

Know the Warning Signs and Get Help

Suicide has many warning signs.
For more information, visit the Web site for American Association of Suicidology.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) or visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Web site.

Most people are uncomfortable with the topic of suicide. Too often, victims are blamed and their families and friends are left stigmatized. As a result, people do not communicate openly about suicide. Thus an important public health problem is left shrouded in secrecy, which limits the amount of information available to those working to prevent suicidal behavior.

The good news is that research over the last several decades has uncovered a wealth of information on the causes of suicide and on prevention strategies. Additionally, CDC is working to monitor the problem and develop programs to prevent suicidal behavior.

                         Page last reviewed: September 8, 2009

·                                 Page last updated: September 8, 2009

·                                 Content source: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention

·                                 Page maintained by: National Center for Health Marketing

·                                 URL for this page: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/PreventingSuicide

·                                 Links to non-federal organizations are provided solely as a service to our users. These links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the federal government, and none should be inferred. CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at these links.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  

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