National Suicide Prevention Week
It's National Suicide Prevention Week September 4 through September 10, part of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Nearly 46,000 people in the United States died by suicide in 2020, which is about one death every 11 minutes, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Worldwide, nearly 800,000 people die from suicide yearly, and in 2020, there were 1.2 million attempts globally.
Suicide is a serious mental health issue that affects many people. It's also the 10th leading cause of death in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC says that suicide rates are highest among middle-aged adults; people 65 years or older have higher suicide rates than any other age group except those 25-44. Men are at higher risk for suicide than women, with men making up about 80% of all suicides in the U.S., according to SAMHSA -- but more women die by suicide than men every year because they choose less lethal methods such as overdosing on prescription drugs or using sharp objects like knives or razors instead of firearms.
The CDC says that a suicide attempt is rarely a rational decision. Instead, it's most often made when people are confused and suffering from extreme emotional pain or internal conflicts. Mental illnesses are among the most common risk factors for suicide.
Sometimes people who die by suicide have shown obvious signs of distress, but many others do not. Warning signs can include talking about being a burden to others; talking about feeling trapped, as though there's no way out of an unbearable situation; talking about feelings of hopelessness or having no reason to live; expressing anger, recklessness or engaging in risky activities -- often in response to a loss or when a lot is going wrong all at once; withdrawing from friends and family or making plans to do so; showing severe anxiety, agitation or mood swings
Some warning signs of suicidal behavior include expressing thoughts of suicide, feeling hopeless, making plans to commit suicide, and feeling trapped.
There are many risk factors for suicide, including mental health disorders like depression and substance use disorders (like alcoholism). Other risk factors include problems at home or school; family history of suicide; abuse by someone close to you or sexual assault in the past year; being exposed to other people's suicidal behavior or traumatic events such as war, terrorist attacks or mass shootings. You may be at higher risk if you have a history of trauma from childhood abuse or neglect, physical abuse during adulthood, sexual violence as an adult -- especially if it happened recently -- financial problems that can't be resolved (such as foreclosure on a house), legal trouble resulting from something like drunk driving charges or a criminal record involving drugs/alcohol/violence/burglary etc., recent loss such as divorce/job loss/death in the family
Suicide rates significantly increase during certain times of the year, including the holiday season and back-to-school season. A study published in the journal General Hospital Psychiatry in December found that calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline peak every spring and fall during midterms and finals at universities across the US. The busiest month was May 2020, with 2,541 calls made to the hotline within a 30-day period — an average of 71 calls per day.
According to SAMHSA's website, suicide rates also increase during other periods when people may feel stressed:
The week after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) through New Year's Day.
Weeks surrounding holidays such as Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.
During school breaks from Christmas until Easter break.
During these times it is important for you to reach out for help if you are feeling depressed or thinking about suicide.
Conclusion
We hope that this information helps you understand the issue of suicide and know that if you or someone you love is struggling with thoughts of suicide, it's not your fault and there are people who can help. If you think you or someone you know is at risk, trained counselors with the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline could help you work through any signs you're experiencing or seeing. To increase its accessibility, every state began rolling out 988 as the new lifeline on July 16. The current number is 1-800-273-8255 (TALK), and it will always remain available to people in emotional distress or suicidal crisis, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.