Suicide rates in the U.S. can best be characterized as mostly stable over time with a slight tendency toward increase. Rates of suicide are highest in the western regions with the Mountain States highest. Suicide is the ninth leading cause of death. Males die by suicide at rates and numbers of suicides three to four times those of females. Suicide rates have traditionally decreased in times of wars and increased in times of economic crises.
Suicide rates are the highest among the divorced and widowed and lowest among the married.
Rates of suicide are highest among the older adult population above age 65. White suicide rates are approximately twice those of nonwhites as a whole. Females have generally been found to make 3 to 4 times as many attempts as males. Estimate of the ratio of young attempted suicides to suicidal deaths have generally ranged between 100 to 1 and 200 to 1. Mental health diagnoses are generally associated with higher risk of suicide.