Statistics to Know Throughout Suicide Prevention Consciousness Month 2023 – My Mind’s Not Damaged

As I wrote in my put up earlier this month, September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. The month is a crucial time for us to have the conversations we want about suicide and suicide prevention. Along with having conversations and sharing tales, it’s additionally essential to share knowledge and statistics that assist body the dialog and unfold consciousness. Right now, I wish to share some essential statistics in an effort to unfold consciousness concerning the progress and prevalence of suicide as a public well being problem.

From the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (knowledge from 2021):

• Suicide is the eleventh main explanation for demise in america
• In 2021, 48,183 Individuals died by suicide
• In 2021, there have been an estimated 1.70M suicide makes an attempt
• The speed of suicide is highest in middle-aged white males.
• In 2021, males died by suicide 3.90x greater than ladies.
• On common, there are 132 suicides per day.
• 94% of adults surveyed within the U.S. assume suicide may be prevented.

From the Center for Disease Control and Prevention:

• General, the variety of deaths by suicide elevated from 2021 to 2022 by 2.6 %
• In 2021, 12.3 million adults significantly thought of suicide
• 3.5 million adults made a plan
• Suicide charges elevated 37% between 2000-2018 and decreased 5% between 2018-2020. Nevertheless, charges practically returned to their peak in 2021.

Moreover, the CDC also reported that in a recent survey 22% of highschool college students mentioned that they’d significantly thought-about suicide inside the previous 12 months, up from 16% in 2011. Eighteen % mentioned that they’d made a suicide plan, and 10% mentioned they tried suicide at the least as soon as, in contrast with 13% and eight%, respectively, 10 years earlier. All demographic teams throughout race, ethnicity, and intercourse skilled will increase in suicide danger since 2011.

From the Trevor Project:

• Suicide is the second main explanation for demise amongst younger individuals aged 10 to 24 — and LGBTQ+ youth are at considerably elevated danger.
• 45% of LGBTQ youth significantly thought-about trying suicide prior to now 12 months, together with greater than half of transgender and nonbinary youth.
• The Trevor Mission’s analysis has discovered that they have been 2.5 instances extra more likely to report a suicide try prior to now 12 months (33%) in comparison with their LGBTQ friends (14%).

From the National Alliance on Mental Illness:

• Suicide is the 2nd main explanation for demise amongst individuals aged 10-14 and the third main explanation for demise amongst these aged 15-24 within the U.S.
• 46% of people that die by suicide had a recognized psychological well being situation
• 90% of people that die by suicide could have skilled signs of a psychological well being situation, in line with interviews with household, mates and medical professionals (often known as psychological post-mortem)

These numbers paint a fairly clear image of what suicide and suicide prevention appear to be in america. In an effort to have a dialogue round suicide, it’s crucial that we all know what we’re up in opposition to. The info reveals that over the previous few many years, the numbers have drastically gone up on the subject of suicide. And fairly than ignore these numbers and deal with them like an anomaly, we must always embrace them in our conversations surrounding psychological sickness, psychological well being and suicide.

Whereas I do know sharing these statistics might sound pessimistic or disheartening, my aim is to do the other. Sharing these statistics like this can assist unfold consciousness and educate individuals concerning the prevalence of suicide. Hopefully by sharing data like this, we are able to enhance the best way we strategy suicide and suicide prevention.