Suicidal Thoughts Among U.S. Adults Present Grave Risk for Tragic and Needless Loss of Life

A first ever large-scale national scientific survey has revealed that 8.3 million U.S. adults, accounting for 3.7 percent of mature Americans, seriously contemplated suicide last year alone. Another 2.3 million moved forward in planning their own demise, while 1.1 million people actually took action and made an attempt to take their own lives. Those attempting suicide accounted for 0.5 percent of all American adults. Approximately 32,000 of all suicides attempted within the U.S. each years are tragically successful.

The alarming findings of the study conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also indicated that younger adults are more likely to choose to end their lives. During the 2008 survey, data was collected and analyzed on 46,190 people ages 18 and older. The study findings indicated considerable age-related disparities in suicidal risks that included thoughts of suicide, plans for carrying out suicide and actual suicide attempts.

Contemplation of suicide was found to be the most likely among adults between the ages of 18 to 25 at a rate of 6.7 percent, while those between the ages of 26 and 4 were determined to have a more moderate risk at 3.9 percent. Those ages 50 and older had the lowest risk for considering suicide at only 2.3 percent. Comparable age differences were noted regarding plans for suicide and suicide attempts.

The analysis also revealed that among people who had attempted suicide, 62.3 percent received medical attention with only 46 percent being admitted to hospitals for treatment. In relation to gender, females were found to experience slightly higher occurrences of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in comparison to males.

Other findings linked substance abuse to an increased risk of serious contemplation, planning and attempts of suicide. In fact, individuals having substance abuse disorders were found to be greater than three times more likely to seriously consider suicide than those who did not have substance abuse issues, which was seen in a rate of 11 percent compared to 3 percent. Substance abuse was also associated with causing people to be four times more likely to have planned a suicide and almost seven times more likely to have made a suicide attempt. The rates were shown to be 3.4 percent versus 0.8 percent, and 2 percent versus 0.3 percent, respectively.

In a news release, Eric Broderick, SAMHSA acting administrator remarked, “This study offers a far greater understanding of just how pervasive the risk of suicide is in our nation, and how many of us are potentially affected by it.” He went on to explain, “While there are places that people in crisis can turn to for help like the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline [1-800-273-TALK], the magnitude of the public health crisis revealed by this study should motivate us as a nation to do everything possible to reach out and help the millions who are at risk—preferably well before they are in immediate danger.” The full report on the study can be found online here.