Health care use in 2005
Number of emergency department visits for self-inflicted injury: 372,722 Source: National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2004 Emergency Department Summary
Number of people hospitalized due to self-inflicted injury: 154,598 Source: Centers for Disease Control, 2005
Mortality in 2005
All suicides
Number of deaths in 2005: 32,637
Deaths per 100,000 population: 11.01
Firearm suicides
Number of deaths: 17,002
Deaths per 100,000 population: 5.73
Suffocation suicides
Number of deaths: 7,248
Deaths per 100,000 population: 2.44
Poisoning suicides
Number of deaths: 5,744
Deaths per 100,000 population: 1.94
Source: WISQARS Injury Mortality Report, 2005
According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2005:
- Suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in the United States.
- It was the eighth leading cause of death for males, and 16th leading cause of death for females.
- Suicides outnumbered homicides (32,637 to 18,124).
- Suicide by firearms was the most common method, accounting for 52 percent of all suicides.
- Firearms are the most commonly used method of suicide among males (56.8 percent).
- Poisoning is the most common method of suicide for females (37.8 percent).
- More men than women die by suicide, with a gender ratio of 4:1.
- 78.8 percent of all suicide deaths are males.
- There is one suicide for every 25 suicide attempts.
- Among young people age 15 to 24, there is one suicide for every 100 to 200 attempts.
- Among adults age 65 and older, there is one suicide for every four suicide attempts.
- In 2005, 16.9 percent of U.S. high school students reported having seriously considered attempting suicide during the previous 12 months. More than 8 percent of students reported they had actually attempted suicide one or more times during the same period.
- 1,613 children age 15 to 19 committed suicide in 2005.
- 278 children age 10 to 14 committed suicide in 2005.
Source: Centers for Disease Control
Bridging the Gap
