• Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States (CDC)

• Suicide was the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34, and the fourth leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 35 and 54 (CDC)

• Suicides can occur across all age, economic, social, racial and ethnic boundaries.

• Close to 800 000 people die due to suicide every year (WHO)

• Suicidal behavior is complex and not a response to one problem that a person is experiencing. Some risk factors vary with age, gender, or ethnic group and may occur in combination or change over time (WMiCH)

• Health factors such as mental and physical issues also attribute to suicide.

• Surviving family members not only suffer the trauma of losing a loved one to suicide, they may themselves be at higher risk for suicide and emotional concerns.

• The proportion of LGBTQ youth reporting a suicide attempt in the past year was higher among youth of color (21%) than White non-Hispanic youth (18%). Rates were highest among American Indian/Alaskan Native LGBTQ youth (32%) and lowest among Asian/Pacific Islander LGBTQ youth (15%) (Trevor Project).

• Depression is among the most treatable of psychiatric illnesses. Between 80 percent and 90 percent of people with depression respond positively to treatment, and almost all patients gain some relief from their symptoms. But first, depression has to be recognized. And people must be willing to receive treatment (NIH)

• While the death rate for other illnesses such as cancer are dropping, there are more Americans suffering from depression than coronary heart disease, and HIV/AIDS.

• About 50% of people in the US know someone who has died by suicide or attempted suicide in their lifetime.

• 79% of global suicides occur in low and middle-income countries (CDC)

• Common methods of suicide include hanging, pesticide poisoning, and firearms(WHO)

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​Every year close to 800,000 people take their own life and there are even more people who attempt suicide. Suicide is a global tragedy that affects families, communities and entire countries. Suicide is a serious public health problem; however, suicide deaths are preventable with the help of coordination and collaboration between community, education, law, and social media. We can also do our part by reducing access to the means of suicide such as firearms and certain medications.

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