Stephen Sexton Memorial Foundation

FACTS ABOUT SUICIDE 

One person takes his or her life every seventeen minutes; more die by suicide than by homicide (30,000 compared to 19,000); nearly 500,000 receive emergency attention in relation to a suicide attempt; suicide is the second leading cause of death for college students, it is the third leading cause of death for teenagers. In 1995 more young Americans died by suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, and lung disease combined. 

Suicide Rate on the Rise

In the US, the Centre of Disease Control and Prevention reports that:

• Overall, suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death for all US Americans, and is the third leading cause of death for young people 15-24 years.
• Although suicide is a serious problem among the young and adults, death rates continue to be highest among older adults ages 65 years and over.
• Males are four times more likely to die from suicide than are females. However, females are more likely to attempt suicide than are males.