Suicide
Deaths, U.S., 2001*
·
Suicide was the
11th leading cause of death in the United States.
·
It was the eighth
leading cause of death for males, and 19th leading cause of death for
females.
·
The total number
of suicide deaths was 30,622.
·
The 2001
age-adjusted rate**
was 10.7/100,000 or 0.01 percent.
o
1.3 percent of
total deaths were from suicide. By contrast, 29 percent were from
diseases of the heart, 23 percent were from malignant neoplasms
(cancer), and 6.8 percent were from cerebrovascular disease (stroke)—the
three leading causes.
o
Suicides
outnumbered homicides (20,308) by three to two.
o
There were twice
as many deaths due to suicide than deaths due to HIV/AIDS (14,175).
·
Suicide by
firearms was the most common method for both men and women, accounting
for 55 percent of all suicides.
·
More men than
women die by suicide.
o
The gender ratio
is 4:1.
o
73 percent of all
suicide deaths are white males.
o
80 percent of all
firearm suicide deaths are white males.
·
Among the highest
rates (when categorized by gender and race) are suicide deaths for white
men over 85, who had a rate of 54/100,000.
·
Suicide was the
third leading cause of death among young people 15 to 24 years of age,
following unintentional injuries and homicide. The rate was 9.9/100,000
or .01 percent.
o
The suicide rate
among children ages 10-14 was 1.3/100,000 or 272 deaths among 20,910,440
children in this age group. The gender ratio for this age group was 3:1
(males: females).
o
The suicide rate
among adolescents aged 15-19 was 7.9/100,000 or 1,611 deaths among
20,271,312 adolescents in this age group. The gender ratio for this age
group was 5:1 (males: females).
o
Among young people
20 to 24 years of age, the suicide rate was 12/100,000 or 2,360 deaths
among 19,711,423 people in this age group. The gender ratio for this age
group was 7:1 (males: females).
Attempted
Suicides
·
No annual national
data on all attempted suicides are available.
·
Other research
indicates that:
o
there are an
estimated 8-25 attempted suicides for each suicide death; the ratio is
higher in women and youth and lower in men and the elderly.
o
more women than
men report a history of attempted suicide, with a gender ratio of 3:1.
