World Suicide Prevention Day 2012: Facts, Stats, & Resources

What is World Suicide Prevention Day?

World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) is an awareness day observed on 10 September every year, in order to provide worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides, with various activities around the world.The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP), collaborates with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Federation for Mental Health, to host World Suicide Prevention Day.  In 2011 an estimated 40 countries held awareness events to mark the occasion. The United Nations issued 'National Policy for Suicide Prevention' in the 1990s which some countries use as a basis for their suicide policies.
source Wikipedia 

Worldwide Statistics:

Worldwide suicide rates have increased 60% in the last 45 years.
Nearly 1 million people die each year from suicide, globally. One death every 40 seconds. 
Suicide is among the 3 top causes of death for those between the ages of 15 and 44.
Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for those between the ages of 10 and 24.
Attempted suicide occurs up to 20 times more frequently than completed suicide.
Suicide rates among young people has increased so dramatically that they have surpassed suicide statistics for elderly males, becoming the highest risk group in a thirdrd of countries (both developed and developing).
source WHO (World Health Organization)


US Specific Statistics

Nearly 1,000,000 people in the U.S. attempt suicide every year.
Someone dies by suicide every 14.2 minutes.
90% of people who commit suicide have a diagnosable/treatable psychiatric disorder at the time of death.
Most people with mental illness do not die by suicide.
Yearly medical cost for suicide are nearly 100 million dollars.
Though women attempt suicide 3x more often than men, men are nearly 4x more likely to die by suicide.
The highest risk age group for death due to suicide is 40-59.

Statistics by State. 
source: AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Risk Factors For Suicide
Warning Signs of Suicide
What To Do if you fear someone will take their life


Resources for Suicide Prevention: Hotlines, Organizations, Websites




picsource:http://www.flickr.com/photos/rossap/4374522776/

SUICIDE PREVENTION: Hotlines, Resources, Information

THINKING OF SUICIDE?
Click Here and Read This First

Hotlines:

National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433)

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.org:1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)

Thursday's Child: 1-800-USA-KIDS (1-800-872-5497)

Boys and Girls Town National Hotline: 1-800-448-3000

Hotlines: Scotland


Resources:

The Jed Foundation: the nation’s leading organization working to prevent suicide and promote mental health among college students

AAS :American Association of Suicidology

NSSP: National Strategy for Suicide Prevention

SPAN USA: Suicide Prevention Network USA

AFSP: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

NSSP Around the World: Suicide Prevention Organizations, Resources, Plans, and Documents from around the world

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

CASP: Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention

IASP: International Association for Suicide Prevention

Choose Life: A national strategy and action plan to prevent suicide in Scotland

Befrienders Org

see also above hotlines that are linked to the site resources.


Facts and Information

Understanding and Helping the Suicidal Individual: Warning signs, facts, ways to help

Additional AAS Suicide Fact Sheets

AAS Support Group listings

Suicide Facts: from AAS (American Association of Suicidology)

1. Suicide is preventable. Most suicidal individuals desperately want to live; they are just unable to see alternatives to their problems.

2. Most suicidal individuals give definite warnings of their suicidal intentions, but others are either unaware of the significance of these warnings or do not know how to respond to them.

3. Talking about suicide does not cause someone to be suicidal.

4. Approximately 32,000 Americans kill themselves every year. The number of suicide attempts is much greater and often results in serious injury.

5. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people ages 15-24, and it is the eighth leading cause of death among all persons.

6. Youth (15-24) suicide rates increased more than 200% from the 1950’s to the late 1970’s. Following the late 1970’s, the rates for youth suicide have remained stable.

7. The suicide rate is higher among the elderly (over 65) than any other age group.

8. Four times as many men kill themselves as compared to women, yet three times as many women attempt suicide as compared to men.

9. Suicide occurs across all age, economic, social, and ethnic boundaries.

10. Firearms are currently the most utilized method of suicide by essentially all groups (male, female, young, old, white, non-white).

11. Surviving family members not only suffer the trauma of losing a loved one to suicide, and may themselves be at higher risk for suicide and emotional problems.

sources:
http://www.suicidology.org/index.cfm Somethingfishy.com
http://www.something-fishy.org/
www. Metanoia.org
www.google.com
picture source: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net