Suicide is a serious public health problem that can have lasting harmful effects on individuals, families, and communities. There are many factors that contribute to suicide. The goal of suicide prevention is to reduce factors that increase risk and increase factors that promote resilience.

48,000

Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States. It was responsible for over 48,000 deaths in 2021.

$12.3 Million

In 2021, an estimated 12.3 million adults seriously thought about suicide, 3.5 million made a plan, and 1.7 million attempted suicide.

2.6% Higher

Provisional 2022 data show that suicide deaths increased by 2.6% between 2021-2022. Click here to access provisional data.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

10 Leading Causes of Death, United States

Veterans Affairs 2022 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report

The report provides two decades of Veteran suicide information, from 2001 through 2020. The report also evaluates Veteran suicide during 2020, in the initial period of the COVID-19 pandemic, comparing patterns of Veteran suicide and Veteran COVID-19 mortality over time and across Veteran subgroups.

Veteran Suicide Data and Reporting

Safe Reporting on Suicide provides guidance on how to communicate about suicide in a safe and ethical manner, correct misconceptions, convey hope and encourage help-seeking behaviors among those at risk for suicide.

Veteran Suicide Data and Reporting

Safe Reporting on Suicide provides guidance on how to communicate about suicide in a safe and ethical manner, correct misconceptions, convey hope and encourage help-seeking behaviors among those at risk for suicide.

Suicide Mortality by State 2020

States are categorized from highest rate to lowest rate. Although adjusted for differences in age-distribution and population size, rankings by state do not take into account other state specific population characteristics that may affect the level of mortality. When the number of deaths is small, rankings by state may be unreliable due to instability in death rates.

Suicide prevention efforts in the United States started in the 1950s, through the pioneering efforts of a small group of dedicated clinicians interested in better understanding suicide and its prevention.

These early efforts were expanded upon in the 1980s with the support and passion of individuals who had been bereaved by a suicide loss. With limited funding and formal organization, these individuals and their grassroots organizations set out to place suicide on the national agenda. Their combined efforts over time culminated with the release of the 2001 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. These dedicated advocates, organizations, and communities have remained at the forefront of suicide prevention activities nationwide. 

Brief History of Suicide Prevention in the United States

Suicide is a serious public health problem that can have lasting harmful effects on individuals, families, and communities. There are many factors that contribute to suicide. The goal of suicide prevention is to reduce factors that increase risk and increase factors that promote resilience.

Suicide Prevention-CDC

The Suicide Risk Management Consultation Program (SRM) provides free consultation, support, and resources that promote therapeutic best practices for providers working with Veterans at risk of suicide.

The Suicide Risk Management Consultation Program (SRM)

To help keep yourself from feeling suicidal:

Get the treatment you need. If you don't treat the underlying cause, your suicidal thoughts are likely to return. You may feel embarrassed to seek treatment for mental health problems, but getting the right treatment for depression, substance misuse or another underlying problem will make you feel better about life — and help keep you safe.

Establish your support network. It may be hard to talk about suicidal feelings, and your friends and family may not fully understand why you feel the way you do. Reach out anyway, and make sure the people who care about you know what's going on and are there when you need them. You may also want to get help from your place of worship, support groups or other community resources. Feeling connected and supported can help reduce suicide risk.

Remember, suicidal feelings are temporary. If you feel hopeless or that life's not worth living anymore, remember that treatment can help you regain your perspective — and life will get better. Take one step at a time and don't act impulsively.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/suicide/symptoms-causes/syc-20378048

Safe Reporting on Suicide provides guidance on how to communicate about suicide in a safe and ethical manner, correct misconceptions, convey hope and encourage help-seeking behaviors among those at risk for suicide.

Veteran Suicide Data and Reporting

States are categorized from highest rate to lowest rate. Although adjusted for differences in age-distribution and population size, rankings by state do not take into account other state specific population characteristics that may affect the level of mortality. When the number of deaths is small, rankings by state may be unreliable due to instability in death rates.

Suicide Mortality by State 2020

Our veteran population faces a suicide rate that exceeds that of the general population (Table 1). Several studies suggest an increased risk of suicide among veterans seeking services from the Veterans Administration (VA).5,10,11 Thompson et al.5 performed a cause-of-death search of 1,075 veterans from VA case rolls who died in 1998 and then chart reviews to characterize those patients who had completed suicide. These authors reported substantially increased suicide rates among male veterans, between two and three times those of the general population. They attributed this excess of suicides to the high proportion of behavioral health patients within the VA system. Prior diagnoses represented among this group of patient suicides included depression (31.6%), psychotic disorder (15.8%), and substance abuse (15.8%). The authors noted a difference between elderly and nonelderly suicides: none of the former had any listed psychiatric diagnoses in their charts, and they were less likely to have engaged mental health services, while over half of the nonelderly suicides carried a psychiatric diagnosis.

Source: Suicide Among Incarcerated Veterans

Although attempted suicide is more frequent for women, men are more likely than women to complete suicide because they typically use more-lethal methods, such as a firearm.

• Attempted suicide before

• Feel hopeless, worthless, agitated, socially isolated or lonely

• Experience a stressful life event, such as the loss of a loved one, military service, a breakup, or financial or legal problems

• Have a substance abuse problem — alcohol and drug abuse can worsen thoughts of suicide and make you feel reckless or impulsive enough to act on your thoughts

• Have suicidal thoughts and have access to firearms in your home

• Have an underlying psychiatric disorder, such as major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder or bipolar disorder

• Have a family history of mental disorders, substance abuse, suicide, or violence, including physical or sexual abuse

• Have a medical condition that can be linked to depression and suicidal thinking, such as chronic disease, chronic pain or terminal illness

Are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender with an unsupportive family or in a hostile environment.

Both veterans and jail/prison inmates face an increased risk of suicide. The incarcerated veteran sits at the intersection of these two groups, yet little is known about this subpopulation, particularly its risk of suicide. A Pubmed/Medline/PsycINFO search anchored to incarcerated veteran suicide, veteran suicide, suicide in jails/prisons, and veterans incarcerated from 2000 to the present was performed. The currently available literature does not reveal the suicide risk of incarcerated veterans, nor does it enable meaningful estimates. However, striking similarities and overlapping characteristics link the data on veteran suicide, inmate suicide, and incarcerated veterans, suggesting that the veteran in jail or prison faces a level of suicide risk beyond that conferred by either veteran status or incarceration alone. There is a clear need for a better characterization of the incarcerated veteran population and the suicide rate faced by this group. Implications for clinical practice and future research are offered. Read full article.

Warning signs aren't always obvious, and they may vary from person to person. Some people make their intentions clear, while others keep suicidal thoughts and feelings secret.

• Talking about suicide — for example, making statements such as "I'm going to kill myself," "I wish I were dead" or "I wish I hadn't been born"

• Getting the means to take your own life, such as buying a gun or stockpiling pills

• Withdrawing from social contact and wanting to be left alone

• Having mood swings, such as being emotionally high one day and deeply discouraged the next

• Being preoccupied with death, dying or violence

• Feeling trapped or hopeless about a situation

• Increasing use of alcohol or drugs

• Changing normal routine, including eating or sleeping patterns

• Doing risky or self-destructive things, such as using drugs or driving recklessly

• Giving away belongings or getting affairs in order when there's no other logical explanation for doing this

• Saying goodbye to people as if they won't be seen again

• Developing personality changes or being severely anxious or agitated, particularly when experiencing some of the warning signs listed above.

In rare cases, people who are suicidal are at risk of killing others and then themselves. Known as a homicide-suicide or murder-suicide, some risk factors include:

• History of conflict with a spouse or romantic partner

• Current family legal or financial problems

• History of mental health problems, particularly depression

• Alcohol or drug abuse

• Having access to a firearm

Suicide is a national health crisis that affects all Americans. Suicide is the 10th-leading cause of death in the United States, and suicide rates in the U.S. general population have increased in recent years.

A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released in April 2016 indicated that, between 1999 and 2014, suicide rates increased among the general population for both men and women and across all age groups2 and increases were greater between 2006 and 2014 than for earlier time periods. Findings underscore the magnitude of suicide among all Americans and the need for concerted national public health

approaches with participation from the federal government, state and local governments, and community partners. To this end, there are a multitude of efforts between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and external partners, including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Department of Defense (DoD), and the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, as well as

public-private partnerships and growing partnerships with Veterans Service Organizations.

Suicide prevention is VA’s highest clinical priority. 

Every Veteran suicide is a tragic outcome. Regardless of the numbers or rates, one life lost is too many. VA is focused on preventing Veteran suicides through intensive efforts to enhance a broad public health approach, improve risk identification through enhanced screening and predictive modeling, expand effective treatments and engagement strategies, support innovative research, and establish effective partnerships. VA is committed to doing everything possible to

prevent suicide among all Veterans, including those not directly using VA services, and to spread the word that suicide prevention is everyone’s business.

VA National Suicide Data Report 2005–2015

Both veterans and jail/prison inmates face an increased risk of suicide. The incarcerated veteran sits at the intersection of these two groups, yet little is known about this subpopulation, particularly its risk of suicide.

A Pubmed/Medline/PsycINFO search anchored to incarcerated veteran suicide, veteran suicide, suicide in jails/prisons, and veterans incarcerated from 2000 to the present was performed. The currently available literature does not reveal the suicide risk of incarcerated veterans, nor does it enable meaningful estimates. However, striking similarities and overlapping characteristics link the data on veteran suicide, inmate suicide, and incarcerated veterans, suggesting that the veteran in jail or prison faces a level of suicide risk beyond that conferred by either veteran status or incarceration alone.

There is a clear need for a better characterization of the incarcerated veteran population and the suicide rate faced by this group. Implications for clinical practice and future research are offered.

Suicide Among Incarcerated Veterans

Suicide is a complex, multidetermined phenomenon. There are individual-level biological and psychological contributors, in addition to social, environmental, and economic risk factors. Rates of suicide also differ based on demographic and clinical characteristics. In the general population, the incidence of suicide is higher among older than among younger individuals and among males than among females.

Whites are more likely to commit suicide than are African Americans, and older White men have the highest risk of suicide among all age and race groups. Suicide rates vary with rates of gun ownership, poverty, employment status, geographical location, and levels of social support, as well as other clinical and demographic characteristics. The US Surgeon General, the Institute of Medicine, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recognize suicide as a key public health problem in need of a national strategy for suicide prevention.

“Suicide Mortality Among Individuals Receiving Treatment for Depression in the VA Health System” 

Timothy Pena was a witness to this Marine's suicide after he had received a 'bad' letter from home.

MARINE Pfc. Bradley L. Johnson, 21, shot himself in the head two weeks ago while serving aboard an assault ship that President Carter had ordered to the Indian Ocean, the corps confirmed yesterday.

Johnson died from his wounds in what the corps listed as an apparent suicide. His is the first death for the Marines since they were sent to the Indian Ocean to show the flag.

Marine on Indian Ocean Ship Is Apparent Suicide

Many suicidal crises are self-limiting. Such crises are often caused by an immediate stressor, such as the breakup of a romantic relationship, the loss of a job, or a run-in with police. As the acute phase of the crisis passes, so does the urge to attempt suicide. The temporary nature and fleeting sway of many suicidal crises is evident in the fact that more than 90% of people who survive a suicide attempt, including attempts that were expected to be lethal (such as shooting oneself in the head or jumping in front of a train), do not go on to die by suicide. Indeed, recognizing the self-limiting nature of suicidal crises, penal and psychiatric institutions restrict access to lethal means for persons identified as potentially suicidal.

Guns and Suicide in the United States

Navy veteran Tim Peña sat on the laminate wood flooring in his studio apartment for three days. There was no TV or radio, just his thoughts.

He thought about how to slit his wrists or throat without getting blood all over the floor.

He thought about how to clean up the blood if he survived, or how his family would have to walk through it to collect his things if he succeeded.

He thought about the veteran in his cellblock who had committed suicide a few days earlier by slipping the blade out of his razor.

He realized he didn’t have to live like this.

Peña didn’t know where else to go, so he checked himself into the Phoenix Veteran Affairs facility and has been in treatment since.

Is Arizona’s model for veteran suicide prevention the answer?

PHOENIX — Veterans living in Arizona are at a higher risk for suicide than many other states according to new data from the Arizona Violent Death Reporting System.

393 Arizona veterans died from suicide from January 2015 to June 2016.

“That leads to about 24 veterans a month committing suicide in the state of Arizona,” said Professor Charles Katz, one of the researchers and Director of the Center for Violence Prevention at Arizona State University.

“That’s almost one a day.”

While the majority (263) were in Maricopa and Pima counties, rural areas including La Paz, Graham, Mohave, and Gila had the highest veteran suicide rates.

Arizona veterans have alarming suicide rate

More than 6,000 veterans killed themselves each year between 2008 and 2016. In 2016, 202 people died by suicide in Georgia. And, between 2015 and 2016, the suicide rate per 100,000 people for veterans ages 18 to 34 increased from 40.4 to 45 nationwide, despite the VA's efforts to tackle the problem.

Two veterans kill themselves at separate VA medical centers in Georgia

VA ‘negligent’ in veteran’s parking-lot suicide, mother says

Brief: "Increase in Suicide in the United States, 1999–2014"

Data from the National Vital Statistics System, Mortality

From 1999 through 2014, the age-adjusted suicide rate in the United States increased 24%, from 10.5 to 13.0 per 100,000 population, with the pace of increase greater after 2006.

Suicide rates increased from 1999 through 2014 for both males and females and for all ages 10–74.

The percent increase in suicide rates for females was greatest for those aged 10–14, and for males, those aged 45–64.

The most frequent suicide method in 2014 for males involved the use of firearms (55.4%), while poisoning was the most frequent method for females (34.1%).

Percentages of suicides attributable to suffocation increased for both sexes between 1999 and 2014.

Increase in Suicide in the United States, 1999–2014

Objectives. We sought to report clinical and demographic factors associated with suicide among depressed veterans in an attempt to determine what characteristics identified depressed veterans at high risk for suicide.

Conclusions. Unlike the general population, older and younger veterans are more prone to suicide than are middle-aged veterans. Future research should examine the relationship between depression, PTSD, health service use, and suicide risks among veterans.

PubMed: Suicide Mortality Among Individuals

WASHINGTON — New data included in the Department of Veterans Affairs 2021 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report notably shows a decrease from 2018 to 2019 in the total number of Veteran suicide deaths, and a decrease in the rate of Veteran suicides per 100,000.

This drop is noteworthy when compared to the generally rising rates observed in earlier years. 

This latest report provides the most comprehensive data to date regarding suicide among U.S. Veterans from 2001-2019. 

Key findings include: 

• In 2019, there were 6,261 Veteran suicide deaths, 399 fewer than in 2018.
• In 2019, the Veteran suicide rate was 31.6 per 100,000, substantially higher than the rate among non-Veteran U.S. adults (16.8 per 100,000). 
• Adjusting for age- and sex-differences, the suicide rate among Veterans in 2019 was 52.3% higher than for non-Veteran U.S. adults. The suicide rate difference between Veterans and the non-Veteran U.S. population was highest in 2017 at 66.3%.
• From 2018 to 2019, there was a 7.2% overall decrease in the age- and sex-adjusted Veteran suicide mortality rate in 2019, while among non-Veteran U.S. adults, the adjusted suicide mortality rate fell by 1.8%. 
• The age-adjusted suicide rate for male Veterans decreased 3.8% in 2019 from 2018 while the age-adjusted suicide rate for female Veterans decreased 14.9% in 2019 from 2018.
• Firearms were more often involved in Veteran suicides in 2019 than in 2018 (among Veteran men who died from suicide: 69.6% in 2018, 70.2% in 2019; among Veteran women who died from suicide: 41.1% in 2018, 49.8% in 2019).

VA annual report shows decrease in Veteran suicides