Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Facts about suicide

Since I work in the mental health field, I occasionally have the inkling to pass on information. Here are some facts you should know.
  • Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people ages 15 to 24.
  • Of the total number of suicides among persons ages 15 to 24, 86 percent are male and 14 percent are female.
  • Suicide is the eighth leading cause of death for all American men.
  • Male are four times more likely to die from suicide than females. Suicide rates are highest among white males and second highest among American Indian and Native Alaskan males.
  • Sixty percent of reported suicide deaths among men involve the use of a firearm.
  • Women report attempting suicide during their lifetime about three times as often as men.
This information is provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Visit the National Mental Health Information Center here.

2 comments:

  1. Interesting facts. A church family where I work just lost their son-in-law to suicide last week. Took his wife to the airport and kissed her good-bye, took daughter to work and said good-bye and said good-bye to his son as he went to school. Then he went in the house and hung himself. Had been dealing with depression for quite some time, but the family thought he had been getting better. Very sad...

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  2. The horrible thing about what you're saying, Mrs. C, is that he probably appeared to be "getting better" because he had resigned himself to ending his life. One of the risk factors - things to look for in a depressed person who has expressed thoughts about death - is the appearance of suddenly "being better."

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