“I Want to Believe: Remembering and Healing After the Loss of My Son to Suicide,” My Forever Son
Staggering Statistics about Suicide in the United States
Suicide was the 10th leading cause of death in the United States in 2018. Suicide was responsible for more than 48,000 deaths in 2018,resulting in about one death every 11 minutes.
On average, 132 Americans died by suicide each day.
1.4 million Americans attempted suicide.
90% of those who died by suicide had a diagnosable mental health condition at the time of their death.
These are staggering statistics. Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States. And these statistics are from 2018. Much has happened since: A global pandemic, especially, forcing isolation in a world where life is lived connected. Mental illness rates have increased as have suicide statistics, but the Center for Disease Control collects data in retrospect, culling numbers from the previous year. We will not know the fallout from 2020 until at least next year.
Additional facts about suicide in the United States
The age-adjusted suicide rate in 2018 was 14.2 per 100,000 individuals.
The rate of suicide is highest in middle-aged white men.
In 2018, men died by suicide 3.56x more often than women.
On average, there are 132 suicides per day.
White males accounted for 69.67% of suicide deaths in 2018.
In 2018, firearms accounted for 50.57% of all suicide deaths.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, “suicide rates have increased by 30% since 1999. Nearly 45,000 lives were lost to suicide in 2016 alone. Comments or thoughts about suicide — also known as suicidal ideation — can begin small like, “I wish I wasn’t here” or “Nothing matters.” But over time, they can become more explicit and dangerous.”
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