General Suicide and Prevention Questions and Answers
Q: How many people die by suicide each year?
A: In the United States, over 41,000 die by suicide each year. That’s about 113 suicides each day or one every 12.3 minutes. Suicide ranked 10th for cause of death in USA (Homicide ranked 17th). For young people ages 10-24, suicide is 2nd leading cause of death and accounts for more deaths in the U.S. (approximately 10/100,000) than all natural causes combined.*
Q: How many people attempt suicide in a year?
A: More than 1 million people reported making a suicide attempt in the past year in the U.S. Youth grades 9 -12: 17% seriously considered attempting suicide. 70% of people who attempt suicide tell someone.*
Q: How many people think about suicide?
A: More than 2 million adults reported thinking about suicide in the past year in the U.S.*
Q: Does suicide affect me even if I don’t know anyone who has contemplated or attempted suicide
A: Suicide costs society over $44.6 billion a year in combined medical and work loss costs.*
Q: What are the rates of suicide in Hawai`i?
A: Hawaii’s national suicide rankings: Hawaii adults – 28th in the nation; Hawaii Youth (15-24) – 16th in the nation; Hawaii elderly (65+) – 26th in the nation. 16% of High School students were seriously considering attempting suicide in the past year. 15.6% of High School students have made a suicide plan. 10.5% of high school students have attempted suicide.*
Q: Are there factors that could make someone more likely to contemplate suicide?
A: A person is statistically more likely to contemplate suicide if they have*:
- Family history of suicide.
- Family history of child maltreatment.
- Previous suicide attempt(s).
- History of mental disorders, particularly clinical depression.
- History of alcohol and substance abuse (in 2010 – death by suicide, 33.4% tested positive for alcohol, 23.8% for antidepressants, and 20% for opiates including heroin and prescription pain pills).
- Feelings of hopelessness.
- Impulsive or aggressive tendencies. Cultural and religious beliefs (e.g., belief that suicide is noble resolution of a personal dilemma).
- Local epidemics of suicide. Isolation, a feeling of being cut off from other people. Barriers to accessing mental health treatment.
- Loss (relational, social, work, or financial).
- Physical illness.
- Easy access to lethal methods.
- Unwillingness to seek help because of the stigma attached to mental health and substance abuse disorders or to suicidal thoughts.
Q: Are there factors that can help individuals to be less likely to attempt suicide?
A: Yes! A person is statistically less likely to contemplate suicide if they have
- Effective clinical care for mental, physical, and substance abuse disorders.
- Easy access to a variety of clinical interventions and support for help seeking.
- Family and community support (connectedness).
- Support from ongoing medical and mental health care relationships.
- Skills in problem solving, conflict resolution, and nonviolent ways of handling disputes.
- Cultural and religious beliefs that discourage suicide and support instincts for self-preservation.*
Q: Does MHA offer suicide prevention trainings?
A: Yes! Youth Suicide and Bullying Prevention (YSBP): Mental Health America of Hawaii has trained 20,000 youth and adults on how to recognize and intervene in suicide and bullying. We have developed a network of trainers to educate youth about suicide and bullying prevention. If you are interested in a training, please complete the YSBP intake: www.surveymonkey.com/r/ysbptraining
MHA has also develop a Youth Leadership Council for Suicide Prevention: We have launched this Council, comprised of 50 youth statewide, to generate youth leaders in every community and provide a youth voice in suicide prevention planning by the Department of Health.
Q: Does MHA have any resources for bullying in school?
We developed a Bullying Prevention Toolkit which contains user-friendly data and statistics relevant to youth populations in our state; successful strategies for prevention and intervention; model programs, protocols, and initiatives; and local resources and experts. Visit our Bullying Prevention Toolkit for more info.
*Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (2013, 2011)