Learn More
See, Play and Learn
- No links available
Resources
For You
Summary
Suicide is the tenth most common cause of death in the United States. People may consider suicide when they are hopeless and can't see any other solution to their problems. Often it's related to serious depression, alcohol or substance abuse, or a major stressful event.
People who have the highest risk of suicide are white men. But women and teens report more suicide attempts. If someone talks about suicide, you should take it seriously. Urge them to get help from their doctor or the emergency room, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). It is available 24/7.
Therapy and medicines can help most people who have suicidal thoughts. Treating mental illnesses and substance abuse can reduce the risk of suicide.
NIH: National Institute of Mental Health
Latest News
- Subway Surveillance Video Provides Clues to Suicidal Behavior (12/15/2016, HealthDay)
- More Than 1 in 10 Pilots Suffer from Depression, Survey Finds (12/15/2016, HealthDay)
- For Heart Attack Survivors, a Risk of Suicide? (12/07/2016, HealthDay)
- More News on Suicide
Diagnosis and Tests
- Screening for Suicide Risk in Adolescents, Adults, and Older Adults in Primary Care (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force) - PDF
- Suicide Warning Signs (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - PDF Also in Spanish
- Suicide: What to Do When Someone Is Suicidal (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Preventing Suicide (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Settings for Suicide Prevention (Education Development Center, Inc.)
- Suicide Prevention (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance)
Related Issues
- End of Life: Suicide Grief (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Responding to a Suicide Emergency (American College of Emergency Physicians)
- Surviving After Suicide (American Association of Suicidology) - PDF
Specifics
- Holiday Suicides: Fact or Myth? (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Suicide and PTSD (National Center for PTSD)
- Teen suicide
Statistics and Research
- African American Suicide (American Association of Suicidology) - PDF
- Childhood Sexual Abuse and Suicide (American Association of Suicidology) - PDF
- Depression and Suicide Risk (American Association of Suicidology) - PDF
- FastStats: Self-Inflicted Injury/Suicide (National Center for Health Statistics)
- Hispanic Suicide (American Association of Suicidology) - PDF
- Most Individuals Receive Health Services a Year Before Suicide Death (National Institute of Mental Health)
- Nocturnal Sleep Disturbances: Risk Factors for Suicide (American Association of Suicidology) - PDF
- Suicidal Thoughts and Behavior among Adults: Results from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - PDF
- Suicide Facts at a Glance (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
- Suicide in the Military: Army-NIH Funded Study Points to Risk and Protective Factors (National Institute of Mental Health)
- Youth Suicidal Behavior (American Association of Suicidology) - PDF
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Suicidal Ideation (National Institutes of Health)
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Suicide (National Institutes of Health)
Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Reference Desk
- Glossary of Suicide Prevention Terms (Education Development Center, Inc.) - PDF
Find an Expert
- American Association of Suicidology
- Behavioral Health and Substance Abuse Treatment Services Locator (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
- Find Your Local NAMI (NAMI)
- National Institute of Mental Health
- Psychologist Locator (American Psychological Association)
- Suicide Awareness Voices of Education
Children
- Antidepressant Medications for Children and Adolescents: Information for Parents and Caregivers (National Institute of Mental Health)
- Antidepressants for Children and Teens (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- How to Talk to a Preschool Child about a Suicide Attempt in Your Family (Department of Veterans Affairs) - PDF Also in Spanish
- How to Talk to a School Age Child about a Suicide Attempt in Your Family (Department of Veterans Affairs) - PDF Also in Spanish
- How to Talk to a Teenager about a Suicide Attempt in Your Family (Department of Veterans Affairs) - PDF Also in Spanish
- Ten Things Parents Can Do to Prevent Suicide (American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Which Kids Are at Highest Risk for Suicide? (American Academy of Pediatrics)
Teenagers
- About Teen Suicide (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- My Friend Is Talking about Suicide (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Suicide (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Teen suicide
Men
- Suicide (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
Seniors
- Elderly Suicide (American Association of Suicidology) - PDF
Patient Handouts
- Suicide and suicidal behavior (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish