Suicide Is A Public Health Epidemic: Prevention Is A Start, But Not Enough

In spite of increased awareness, suicide continues to be a major public health problem in the United States, and around the world. Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the U.S., where the rate is higher than at any point since World War II. The majority of suicides in the U.S. are among working age adults. Business leaders are uniquely positioned to make a significant contribution to addressing this crisis.

  Surviving a Loved One’s Suicide

Readers, some of them speaking from experience, discuss how family members are often blamed or feel they could have prevented it.

  The Millennial Mental-Health Crisis

Suicides and overdoses among young adults were already skyrocketing before the pandemic started. Now experts fear that the situation is going to get even worse.

  The Mystery Around Middle-Age Suicides

The recent suicides of two well-known figures—celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain and fashion designer Kate Spade —underscore a sobering reality: Suicide rates for people in middle age are higher than almost any other age group in the U.S. and rising quickly.

  This Survivor Works to End the Stigma for Those Who Tried to Kill Themselves

Dese'Rae L. Stage runs an online archive of portraits and interviews where suicide attempt survivors can share their experiences.

  U.S. task force raises doubts on youth suicide screening

An influential U.S. group is raising doubts about routine suicide screening for children and teens even as others call for urgent attention to youth mental health.

  What Lies in Suicide’s Wake

Along with everything else, I wasn’t prepared for the stigma of becoming a widow this way.

 As Suicides Rise, More Attention Turns to the People Left Behind

New studies show just how severe the aftermath is, but emerging treatments offer hope.

 How More Than 12 Students at One University Ended Up Dead By Suicide

Why were there so many deaths at Bristol university?

 My Best Friend Died by Suicide. I Wish I Had Seen the Warning Signs

Neil was the toughest guy I knew in the Air Force. But no one taught us how to cope with PTSD.

 Sometimes, You Won’t Feel Better Tomorrow

We’ve gotten too used to discussing suicide as a fleeting, temporary side effect of mental illness. We might better serve people in need if we could acknowledge the messier reality.

 Suicide is declining almost everywhere

Thank urbanisation, greater freedom and some helpful policies.

 Suicide Isn’t Just a Personal Issue

Because Americans have long been encouraged to keep their mental-health struggles in the shadows, many people lack basic skills for offering someone support. “If you see someone choking or struggling in some way physically, you probably want to offer a hand,” Moultier said. But she pointed out that people often hesitate to do the same when a loved one is struggling with mental illness or suicidal ideation, sometimes out of a simple desire not to cause embarrassment by asking personal questions.

 Survey of Americans Who Attempted Suicide Finds Many Aren’t Getting Care

Among the major findings was that there was no significant change in the use of mental health services by people who had tried suicide, despite the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 and receding stigma around mental health care.

 The Empty Promise of Suicide Prevention

Many of the problems that lead people to kill themselves cannot be fixed with a little extra serotonin.

 To Reduce Suicides, Block Access to the Methods

In the U.S., the rate of suicide has steadily increased for more than a decade. The reasons for that are uncertain, but one thing is clear: The urge to take your own life is fleeting. According to researchers at Harvard University, nine out of 10 people who attempt suicide and survive won’t go on to die by suicide at a later date. Because of that, blocking access to methods of suicide—such as bridges or firearms—can be a powerful deterrent.

 When Algorithms Think You Want to Die

Opinion: Social media platforms not only host troubling images of suicide and self-harm, they end up recommending it to the people most vulnerable to it.

 Why some experts are trying to redefine suicide

Treating self harm as a condition, not a symptom could lead to better diagnoses and preventative care.

 ‘Smiling depression’: it’s possible to be depressed while appearing happy – here’s why that’s particularly dangerous

While smiling depression is not a technical term that psychologists use, it is certainly possible to be depressed and manage to successfully mask the symptoms. The closest technical term for this condition is “atypical depression”. In fact, a significant proportion of people who experience a low mood and a loss of pleasure in activities manage to hide their condition in this way. And these people might be particularly vulnerable to suicide.

How Suicide Quietly Morphed Into a Public Health Crisis

After decades of research, effective prevention strategies are lacking. It remains difficult, perhaps impossible, to predict who will commit suicide, and the phenomenon is extremely difficult for researchers to study.

I had suicidal depression. I got better. Here’s how.

I don’t know what was going through Anthony Bourdain’s mind when he took his own life. But I remember what was going through mine when I wanted to end my life. Depression, for me, wasn’t sadness. Sadness is a feeling, and my depression was the opposite of feeling — a numbness, a sense that all value in the world was snuffed out. In order to feel sad, you have to care about something: My depression annihilated the very idea of caring.

Older Adults At Greatest Risk For Suicide

Many associate suicide with young people, like troubled teens or twentysomethings who never quite got their lives off the ground. In fact, it is much more common among older adults. According to new figures just released this week from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the highest rate of suicides in America is among people age 45 to 64.

Researchers Study New Ways to Treat Suicide Risk

The drug ketamine shows promise in early study as doctors work to address the symptoms suicidal patients exhibit.

Robin Williams - It’s All in the Eyes

You're only given one little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it - Robin Williams

Suicide rates are rising with or without 13 Reasons Why. Let’s use it as a chance to talk

13 Reasons Why, the controversial Netflix programme that broaches the topic of adolescent suicide, has drawn further criticism after new research showed a potential link to a rise in suicide rates coinciding with the show’s release. This leaves parents confused about whether they should allow their children to watch the show, discourage it, or even ban viewing. While some parents might feel uncomfortable discussing the issues raised by the show, it should be seen as an impetus to talk to young people. It also provides a framework in which to have these difficult conversations.

SUICIDE: Do You Know What to Look For?

Despite the widespread use of antidepressants, the worldwide rate of suicide has not changed, which reinforces the importance of recognizing who's at risk. You may save a life!

Suicides are at the highest rate in decades, CDC report shows

Suicide is on the rise, but that doesn’t mean it’s a common occurrence. Because we are very sensitive to information about what’s normal, it’s important to note: While suicide is the 10th leading cause of death, it’s still rare, and it ought to be rarer.

What our new study reveals about the genetics and biology of suicidal behaviour

More than three quarters of a million people take their own lives every year, to devastating personal, social and economic cost. Recent research has detailed the strong connection between suicide and mental illness, particularly depression. Past studies have also shown that those who have lost a relative this way are more likely to consider suicide. This paints a complex picture of suicide as something that has been shown to have both environmental and biological causes. Now our research has identified specific DNA risk markers which are involved. Our analysis has also shown that people who died by suicide had more of these risk markers, and has indicated the extent of overlap with risk markers for mental illness.

When Will People Get Better at Talking About Suicide?

As suicide rates rise, and stigma recedes, many discussions and portrayals are still clumsy or hurtful.

Disparities in Suicide

Veterans, people who live in rural areas, sexual and gender minorities, middle-aged adults, and tribal populations may disproportionately experience factors linked to suicide.

Suicide isn’t just an older man’s problem

In addition to mental health factors, suicide among young people can be the result of a range of complex life events including past trauma, interpersonal conflict and bullying. Young people frequently turn to alcohol and drugs to help cope with difficulties; however, we know these substances can increase impulsivity and subsequent risk.

The Chilling Mystery of High-Altitude Suicides

U.S. counties above 4,000 feet have twice the suicides as counties at 2,000 feet. Is it because there's less oxygen in the air, or is something else going on?

What many people get wrong about suicide

When we talk about suicide, it's important to understand the process. It's not that people suddenly become suicidal. But it's a complicated behavior that comes from both longer-term and underlying factors that can contribute to it, like mental health conditions, past suicide attempts, physical or chronic illness or pain, traumatic brain injury, and abuse as a child. There are those underlying factors, although they don't necessarily mean you're going to kill yourself.