The Surgeon General's Call To Action
To Prevent Suicide, 1999

Suicide in the United States

• Suicide was the eighth leading cause of death for all Americans (up from ninth in 1996) and the third leading cause of death for young people aged 15-24.
• Suicide took the lives of 30,903 Americans in 1996 (10.8 per 100,000 population). Suicides in that year accounted for only 1% of all deaths, compared with 32% from heart disease, 23% from cancer, and 7% from stroke—the top three causes of death in the U.S.
• More people die of suicide than from homicide. In 1996, there were three suicides in the U.S. for every two homicides committed.
• Suicide is a complex behavior usually caused by a combination of factors. Research shows that almost all people who kill themselves have a diagnosable mental or substance abuse disorder or both, and that the majority have depressive illness. Studies indicate that the most promising way to prevent suicide and suicidal behavior is through the early recognition and treatment of depression and other psychiatric illnesses.
• The highest suicide rates were for white men over 85, who had a rate of 65.3/100,000. However, suicide was not the leading cause of death for this age group.
• Males are four times more likely to die of suicide than are females. However, females are more likely to attempt suicide than are males.
• In 1996, white males accounted for 73% of all suicides. Together, white males and white females accounted for more than 90% of all suicides in the United States. However, during the period from 1979-1992, suicide rates for Native Americans (a category that includes American Indians and Alaska Natives) were about 1.5 times the rates for the general population. There were a disproportionate number of suicides among young male Native Americans during this period, as males 15-24 accounted for 64% of all suicides by Native Americans.
• Suicide rates are generally higher than the national average in the western mountain states and lower in the eastern and Midwestern states.
• Nearly 3 of every 5 suicides in 1996 (59%) were committed with a firearm, while 79% of all firearm suicides are committed by white men.
• There are an estimated 16 attempted suicides for each completed suicide. The ratio is lower in women and youth and higher in men and the elderly. Suicide attempts are expressions of extreme distress that need to be addressed, and not just a harmless bid for attention. A suicidal person should not be left alone and needs immediate mental health treatment.

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