Suicide :: essays research papers

Suicide As I researched suicide I found that the numbers are staggering. Suicide is the ninth leading cause of death in the US, with 31,204 deaths recorded in 1995. It was at number eight on the list in 1998, and as the numbers are steadily increasing it threatens to move up the list. This approximates to around one death every seventeen minutes. There are more suicides than homicides each year in the United States. In 1993, the suicide rate was 11.3/100,000. Two-thirds of all suicides under the age of 25 were committed with firearms (accounting for most of the increase in suicides from 1980 to 1992). The second most common method was hanging, third was poisoning. 61% of all suicides involve firearms. From 1952 to 1992 suicides among teens nearly tripled. Today, it is the third leading cause of death for teenagers aged 15-19 (after motor vehicle accidents and unintentional injury). Suicide is increasing, particularly for teens and for those over 65. In young people, the suicide rate is relatively low (13.5/100,000 in 1993), but it is still a leading cause of death. In older people, the suicide rate is very high, but it is not a leading cause of death (in white males over 85, the suicide rate in 1993 was 73.6/100,000). In all age groups, men commit suicide successfully more than women (around four times as much). However, females are more likely to attempt suicide than males do. In 1998, white males accounted for 73% of all suicides. Together, white males and white females accounted for over 90% of all suicides. In teenagers, the average ratio is 5.5:1. The ratio increases with age within this group. (http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/10lc92c.htm / http://www.befrienders.org/info/statistics.htm) The previously listed facts are staggering and a surprise to most. Another surprising or should I say confusing area is depression and its relation to suicide. Most suicides occur by people who are suffering from depression. Certain life difficulties such as the loss of a loved one, divorce, stress at work, or a series of disappointments can contribute to depression. And sometimes, depression may just run in the family. More than 19 million Americans, approximately one in 10 adults, suffer from depression each year. Everyone feels sad at some point, but what doctors call clinical depression is very different from just being "down in the dumps." The main difference is that the sad or empty mood doesn't go away after a couple of weeks, and everyday activities like sleeping, socializing or working can be affected.