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Jacquelyn Bogue Foundation
For Suicide Prevention In Orange County
Save A Life Save A Universe
Read About The Statistics

When reading through these statistics, remember that each number represents a person lost to suicide  a child, a parent, a grandparent, aspouse, a friend.

General Statistics 
(From American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Center for Disease Control)

  • More than 32,000 people in the United States die by suicide every year.
  • Suicide is fourth leading cause of death for adults between the ages of 18 and 65 years in the U.S., with approximately 26,500 suicides. 
  • 90% of all people who die by suicide have a diagnosable psychiatric disorder at the time of their death. 
  • There are four male suicides for every female suicide, but twice as many females as males attempt suicide. 

Our Youth

  • Suicide is the fifth leading cause of death among those 5-14 years old. 
  • Suicide is the third leading cause of death among those 15-24 years old. 
  • Among young people aged 10-14 years, the rate has doubled in the last two decades. 
  • Between 1980-1996, the suicide rate for African-American males aged 15-19 has also doubled.
  • Risk factors for suicide among the young include: suicidal thoughts, psychiatric disorders (such as depression, impulsive aggressive behavior,bipolar disorder, certain anxiety disorders), drug and/or alcohol abuse and previous suicide attempts. 

The Elderly

  • The suicide rates for men rise with age, most significantly after age 65.
  • The rate of suicide in men 65+ is seven times that of females who are 65+.
  • The suicide rates for women peak between the ages of 40-54 years old. 
  • About 60 % of elderly patients who take their own lives see their primary care physician within a few months of their death. 
  • Risk factors for suicide among the elderly include: a previous attempt, the presence of a mental illness, the presence of a physical illness, social isolation (some studies have shown this is especially so in older males who are recently widowed) and access to means, such as the availability of firearms in the home. Studies also show that the use and abuse of alcohol is a significant risk factor for the elderly.
Other Factors:
 
Depression
 
  • More than 60% of all people who die by suicide suffer from major depression. If one includes alcoholics who are depressed, this figure rises to over 75%. 
  • Depression affects nearly 10% of Americans ages 18 and over in a given year, or more than 19 million people. 
  • Depression is among the most treatable of psychiatric illnesses. Between 80% and 90% of people with depression respond positively to treatment, and almost all patients gain some relief from their symptoms. But first, depression has to be recognized.
 
Alcohol and Suicide
 
  • Alcoholism is a factor in about 30% of all completed suicides. 
  • Approximately 7% of those with alcohol dependence will die by suicide.
 
Firearms and Suicide
 
  • Although most gun owners reportedly keep a firearm in their home for "protection" or "self-defense," 83% of gun-related deaths in these homes are the result of a suicide, often by someone other than the gun owner. Firearms are used in more suicides than homicides. Firearms account for 60% of all suicides. 
 
Medical Illness and Suicide
 
  • People with AIDS have a suicide risk up to 20 times that of the general population.
  • Studies indicate that the best way to prevent suicide is through the early recognition and treatment of depression and other psychiatric illnesses.