Five horrifying statistics about suicide today

As I wrote earlier this week, we’re in a bad way when it comes to suicide as a nation. Suicide rates are rising – badly – and we need to do more to address this ongoing crisis.

We need to have a better understanding about where we are at when it comes to suicide as a country. To that end, here are five things you should know about suicide in America, 2019.

Suicide rates are at near fifty year highs. After hitting lows in the late 1990s, suicide rates began to climb again. They are now at rates which haven’t been seen in fifty years, and have increased 33% since they hit their lowest point in 1999. More than 47,000 Americans died by suicide in 2017, making suicide the 11th leading cause of death in the United States. The number is so high that it has actually begun to drag down the average life expectancy of Americans.

Gun ownership and suicide rates are directly related. This isn’t to say that gun owners are more likely to kill themselves, but it does show a direct relation between the means of suicide and actual suicides. One study revealed that suicide rates are higher in states with high rates of gun ownership, and lower in states with lower rates. Another showed that firearms account for roughly half of all suicide deaths.

For every completed suicide, there are twenty-five attempts.

Women are more likely to attempt suicide, but men are more likely to complete it. This is, in part, due to the method by which each gender typically attempts suicide. Women are more likely to attempt suicide by drug overdoses and other less violent means, giving rescuers a greater opportunity to reverse suicide attempts. Men are more likely to use firearms and asphyxiation related methods, which are typically harder to reverse.

Suicide rates are highest in the Mountain West states, and lowest in the Mid Atlantic. According to the CDC, the states with the highest suicide rates are Montana, Alaska, Wyoming, New Mexico and Idaho. States with the lowest rates are New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland and California.

If you are looking for more information about suicide, I highly recommend you visit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s website. After all, the only way to stop a problem is to fully understand it.