You Are Not Alone–

If You’ve Lost A Child to Suicide

• If you’ve lost a child to suicide, The Compassionate Friends offers a resource for parents: ” Surviving Your Child’s Suicide.”

• AFSP, the American Foundation for Suicide prevention provides numerous resources for where to turn after losing a loved one to suicide. AFSP is “dedicated to advancing knowledge of suicide and the ability to prevent it, and in supporting those who are bereaved after suicide loss.” (AFSP Mission Statement)

• Additional Facts and Statistics can be found at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The information below can be found in detail at AFSP.

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.

Over 950,000 years of potential life were lost to suicide before age 65.

Firearms accounted for slightly more than half (50.54%) of all suicide deaths.

Suicide deaths and attempts cost $69 billion in combined work-loss and medical cost in 2015.

10.3% of Americans have thought about suicide

54% of Americans have been affected by suicide

Men died by suicide 3.6x more often than women. Women were 1.4x more likely to attempt suicide.

48,344 Americans died by suicide.

Second (2nd) leading cause of death for ages 10-34

Fourth (4th) leading cause of death for ages 35-54

In 2017, the suicide rate was 1.5x higher for Veterans than for non-Veteran adults over the age of 18.

Read more at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. All facts and statistics information provided by the CDC, 2018 Fatal Injury Reports (accessed from www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/fatal.html on 3/1/20). Find additional citation information at afsp.org/statistics.

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.”

NAMI, National Alliance for Mental Illness

Read more about how I’ve coped, grieved, and found my way back to life after losing my son to suicide at My Forever Son

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Need Help? Know Someone Who Does?

Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

• Call 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)
• Use the https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/
• For more information about resources to help, visit https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
• Support resources are available at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/help-yourself/

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Hold onto Hope