CDC Study Finds Reports of Suicidal Thoughts and Behavior Among Adults Vary Widely in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the first report featuring state-level data on adults who think about, plan and attempt suicide. The report, “Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Adults > 18 Years – United States, 2008-2009” appears in the October 21, 2011 edition of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Surveillance Summaries (MMWR). Every 15 minutes, someone dies by suicide in this country. And for every person who dies, there are many more who think about, plan or attempt suicide. This study examines that pattern among adults, 18 years and older, in the United States by state. CDC and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) studied data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) for 2008-2009. The data presented in this report support other findings that the public health burden of suicidal behavior throughout the United States is much greater than the number of deaths. Results showed that an estimated 8.3 million (annual average) adults (3.7% of the adult U.S. population) reported having serious thoughts of suicide in the past year, ranging from 2.1% in Georgia to 6.8% in Utah. More than 2.2 million adults (1.0% of adults) reported making suicide plans in the past year, ranging from 0.1% in Georgia to 2.8% in Rhode Island. More than 1 million adults (0.5% of adults) reported attempting suicide in the past year, ranging from 0.1% in Delaware and Georgia to 1.5% in Rhode Island. Other key findings in the report include: · The prevalence of serious suicidal thoughts, suicide planning, and suicide attempts was significantly higher among young adults aged 18–29 years than it was among adults aged ≥30 years. · The prevalence of serious suicidal thoughts was significantly higher among females than it was among males. · There was no statistically significant difference between males and females for suicide planning or suicide attempts. · In the U.S. suicide rates have consistently been higher in western states, especially the Rocky Mountain states. In the current report, which looks at nonfatal suicidal behavior, the pattern was mixed: adults in the Midwest and West were more likely to have suicidal thoughts than those in the Northeast and South. Adults in the Midwest were more likely to have made suicide plans than those in the South, and suicide attempts did not vary by region. Information in this report provides some important clues to focus prevention efforts. The findings: · can be used by state health departments and federal agencies to measure progress toward achieving national and state objectives; · highlight the importance of continued surveillance to design, implement, and evaluate public health policies and programs that can reduce death and injuries linked to suicide-related thoughts and behaviors; · and underscore the importance of suicide prevention strategies, including those designed for broad audiences (e.g., public education campaigns that focus on improving recognition of suicide risk) and more intensive strategies (e.g., cognitive-behavioral therapy) for those who are at heightened risk (e.g., persons who have made suicide attempts). More Information · View this report at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss6013a1.htm · CDC’s Injury Center works to prevent injuries and violence and their adverse health consequences. For more information about suicide prevention, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/suicide · For a listing of evidence-based prevention interventions for suicide, please visit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Resource Center at http://www2.sprc.org/bpr/section-i-evidence-based-programs |
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