About Suicide Prevention

For Everyone

Key points

  • Suicide is a serious public health problem that can have lasting harmful effects on individuals, families, and communities.
  • Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States and affects people of all ages.
  • Preventing suicide involves reducing risk factors and increasing protective factors.
Two girls sitting on grass, facing away, hugging

Overview

Suicide is death caused by injuring oneself with the intent to die. A suicide attempt is when someone harms themselves with any intent to end their life, but they do not die because of their actions.

Many factors can increase the risk of suicide or protect against it. Being connected to family and community support and having easy access to healthcare can decrease suicidal thoughts and behaviors.1

Facts

Suicide is a leading cause of death for people ages 10 and older and was responsible for 48,824 deaths in 2024.2 Additionally, in 2024, an estimated 14.3 million adults seriously thought about suicide, 4.6 million planned a suicide attempt, and 2.2 million attempted suicide.3

Some groups have higher suicide rates than others. Rates are highest among non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native people, followed by non-Hispanic White people.4 Veterans, people in rural areas, and those working in jobs like mining and construction also have higher rates. 15Young people who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual are more likely to have suicidal thoughts or behaviors than their heterosexual peers.6

Keep Reading Suicide Data and Statistics

Impacts

Suicide and suicide attempts cause serious emotional, physical, and economic impacts. People who attempt suicide and survive may experience serious injuries that can have long-term effects on their health. They may also experience depression and other mental health concerns.7

Suicide and suicide attempts affect the health and well-being of friends, loved ones, co-workers, and the community. When people die by suicide, their surviving family and friends may experience prolonged grief, shock, anger, guilt, symptoms of depression or anxiety, and even thoughts of suicide themselves.78

In addition to the impact of suicide on families and communities, suicide is costly. Suicide costs Americans over $500 billion annually in medical costs, lost work, the impact of lives cut short, and quality of life costs. The good news is we know how to prevent suicide, and each prevented suicide saves over $10 million in societal and health care costs.9

Prevention

Suicide doesn’t have just one cause, and it can’t be prevented with just one solution. Preventing suicide requires understanding and addressing the factors that increase risk for suicide and suicidal behaviors, helping those at higher risk, and supporting survivors of suicide loss.1

We can work together to ensure no lives are lost to suicide. Everyone benefits when they feel understood and supported and have access to care during challenges.

Keep Reading Preventing Suicide

Need help? Know someone who does?

Talk to someone now

Contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline if you are experiencing mental health-related distress or are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.

Connect with a trained crisis counselor. 988 is confidential, free, and available 24/7/365. Visit the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for more information at 988lifeline.org.

Do you know a veteran in crisis?

Connect with the Veterans Crisis Line to reach caring, qualified responders with the Department of Veterans Affairs:

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Content Source:
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Suicide Prevention Resource for Action: A Compilation of the Best Available Evidence. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2026). Fatal injury reports, national and regional, 2024. WISQARS. https://wisqars.cdc.gov/.
  3. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2025). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. PEP25-07-007, NSDUH Series H-60). Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/data-we-collect/nsduh-national-surveydrug-use-and-health/national-releases
  4. National Vital Statistics System, Mortality 2018-2024 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2024. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 2018-2024, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed at http://wonder.cdc.gov/mcd-icd10-expanded.html on May 4, 2026.
  5. Sussell A, Peterson C, Li J, Miniño A, Scott KA, Stone DM. Suicide Rates by Industry and Occupation — National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2023;72:1346–1350. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7250a2.
  6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2013–2023. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2024
  7. Hamdan, S., Berkman, N., Lavi, N., Levy, S., Brent, D. (2020). The effect of sudden death bereavement on the risk for suicide. Crisis; 41(3):214–224. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000635.
  8. Wagner, B., Hofmann, L., Grafiadeli, R. (2021). The relationship between guilt, depression, prolonged grief, and posttraumatic stress symptoms after suicide bereavement. J Clin Psychol; 77:2545–2558. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23192
  9. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. (2020). Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS): Cost of injury module. Retrieved April 27, 2026, from https://wisqars.cdc.gov/cost/?y=2020&o=MORT&i=2&m=20810&g=00&s=0&u=TOTAL&u=AVG&t=COMBO&t=MED&t=VPSL&a=5Yr&g1=0&g2=199&a1=0&a2=199&r1=MECH&r2=INTENT&r3=NONE&r4=NONE&c1=NONE&c2=NONE