CDC: Suicide Rates Have Increased Since 1999

According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide in the United States has increased 24% from 1999 through 2014. While suicide among teenagers and young adults is increasing and among the leading causes of death for those demographic groups, suicide among middle-aged adults is also rising.

In the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention’s (Action Alliance), response to this new information, they explained that, “It is important to be aware of data that indicates suicide prevention is effectively occurring daily, in ways that are rarely finding headlines. For every one person who tragically dies by suicide in the U.S., there are approximately 278 people who have moved past serious thoughts about killing themselves, and nearly 60 who have survived a suicide attempt, the overwhelming majority of whom will go on to live out their lives.”

As a foundation, we see the effects that untreated mental illness and suicide have on our community every day. Rather than allowing this 24% increase to discourage our efforts, we as a nation, need to use this information as a call to action. It is time to make mental health and suicide prevention a much bigger priority.

Resources:

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db241.htm

http://bit.ly/1pnl4Rz

Jill Hamilton, Project Coordinator, The Kim Foundation

Jill Hamilton has been the Project Coordinator at The Kim Foundation since 2014. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and public relations from The University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2009. Since working at the foundation, she has become an active member of the Nebraska State Suicide Prevention Coalition, Nebraska LOSS Advisory Committee, The Omaha Metro Hoarding Taskforce, The Early Childhood Mental Health Coalition, Nebraska State Conference Planning Committee, is Chair of the Nebraska LOSS Teams Conference Planning Committee, and serves as the Outreach Coordinator for the Metro Area LOSS Team.