Fact Sheet 2015

How does suicide affect health?

Suicide is when people direct violence at themselves 

with the intent to end their lives, and they die as a result 

of their actions. Suicide is a leading cause of death in the 

United States.

A suicide attempt is when people harm themselves with 

the intent to end their lives, but they do not die as a 

result of their actions. Many more people survive suicide 

attempts than die, but they often have serious injuries. 

However, a suicide attempt does not always result in a 

physical injury.

To learn more about suicide and other self-directed violence, 

please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/suicide.html

Suicide, by definition, is fatal and is a problem 

throughout the life span. In 2013, suicide was the second 

leading cause of death among persons aged 15-24 years, 

the second among persons aged 25-34 years, the fourth 

among person aged 35-54 years, the eighth among 

persons aged 55-64 years, the seventeenth among 

persons 65 years and older, and the tenth leading cause 

of death across all ages.1 

Why is suicide a public 

health problem?

Suicide is a significant problem in the United States: 

• 41,149 people killed themselves in 2013.1

•	 Over 494,169 people with self-inflicted injuries were

treated in U.S. emergency departments in 2013.1

•	 Suicides result in an estimated $44.6 billion in

combined medical and work loss costs.1

These numbers underestimate this problem. Many 

people who have suicidal thoughts or make suicide 

attempts never seek services.2

Who is at risk for suicide?

There is no single cause of suicide. Several factors can 

increase a person’s risk for attempting or dying by 

suicide. However, having these risk factors does not 

always mean that suicide will occur. 

Risk factors for suicide include: 

• Previous suicide attempt(s)

• History of depression or other mental illness

• Alcohol or drug abuse

• Family history of suicide or violence

• Physical illness

• Feeling alone

Suicide affects everyone, but some groups are at higher 

risk than others. Men are about four times more likely 

than women to die from suicide.1 However, women are 

more likely to express suicidal thoughts and to make 

nonfatal attempts than men.3 The prevalence of suicidal 

thoughts, suicide planning, and suicide attempts is 

significantly higher among young adults aged 18-29 

years than it is among adults aged ≥30 years.3 Other

groups with higher rates of suicidal behavior include 

American Indian and Alaska Natives, rural populations, 

and active or retired military personnel.4

Note: This is only some information about risk. To learn more, go 

to http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/suicide.html.

Understanding Suicide

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control 

Division of Violence Prevention

People who attempt suicide and survive may experience 

serious injuries, such as broken bones, brain damage, or 

organ failure. These injuries may have long-term effects 

on their health. People who survive suicide attempts 

may also have depression and other mental health 

problems. 

Suicide also affects the health of others and the 

community. When people die by suicide, their family 

and friends often experience shock, anger, guilt, and 

depression. The medical costs and lost wages associated 

with suicide also take their toll on the community.
How can we prevent suicide?

How does CDC approach 

prevention?

Where can I learn more?

Suicide is a significant public health problem, and there 

is a lot to learn about how to prevent it. One strategy

is to learn about the warning signs of suicide, which 

can include individuals talking about wanting to hurt 

themselves, increasing substance use, and having 

changes in their mood, diet, or sleeping patterns. When 

these warning signs appear, quickly connecting the 

person to supportive services is critical. Promoting 

opportunities and settings that strengthen connections 

among people, families, and communities is another 

suicide prevention goal. 

For more information about suicide prevention and 

connectedness, see Preventing Suicide: Program Activities 

Guide (www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/suicide/index.html) and 

Promoting Individual, Family, and Community Connectedness 

to Prevent Suicide Behavior (www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/

pdf/Suicide_Strategic_Direction_Full_Version-a.pdf).

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, 

contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-

273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention

CDC Facebook Page on Violence Prevention

www.facebook.com/vetoviolence 

National Institute for Mental Health

www.nimh.nih.gov

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration

www.samhsa.gov

Suicide Prevention Resource Center

www.sprc.org

Preventing Suicide: A Global Imperative

www.who.int/mental_health/suicide-prevention/world_

report_2014/en/

CDC uses a four-step approach to address public health 

problems like suicide.

Step 1: Define the problem

Before we can prevent suicide, we need to know how big 

the problem is, where it occurs, and who it affects. CDC 

learns about a problem by gathering and studying data. 

These data are critical because they help us know where 

prevention is most needed.

Step 2: Identify risk and protective factors

It is not enough to know that suicide affects certain 

people in certain areas. We also need to know why. CDC 

conducts and supports research to answer this question. 

We can then develop programs to reduce or get rid of 

risk factors and to increase protective factors.

Step 3: Develop and test prevention strategies

Using information gathered in research, CDC develops 

and evaluates strategies to prevent suicide.

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Web-based Injury 

Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) [Online]. (2013) National

Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC (producer). Available from 

URL www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/index.html.

2. Diekstra RFW. Epidemiology of attempted suicide in the EEC. In: Wilmott J, 

Mendlewicz J, editors. New Trends in Suicide Prevention. New York: Karger; 

1982.

3. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Results from 

the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental Health Findings, 

NSDUH Series H-49, HHS Publication No. (SMA) 14-4887. Rockville, MD: 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services.

4. Kann L, Kinchen S, Shanklin SL, et al. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance — 

United States, 2013. MMWR 2014; 63(ss04): 1-168.

5.		Preventing Suicide: A Global Imperative, World Health Organization. 2014.

Available from: http://www.who.int/mental_health/suicide-prevention/

world_report_2014/en/

1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636) • www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention

Understanding Suicide

Step 4: Ensure widespread adoption

In this final step, CDC shares the best prevention 

strategies. CDC may also provide funding or technical 

help so communities can adopt these strategies. 

For more information on suicide prevention activities at CDC, 

please visit http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/suicide.