|
| A) | 4,277 | ||
| B) | 27,489 | ||
| C) | 48,824 | ||
| D) | 173,422 |
In 2024, there were 48,824 reported suicide deaths in the United States, making it the 10th leading overall cause of mortality [1]. Every day, approximately 130 Americans take their own life, and one person dies by suicide every 11.2 minutes. An estimated 90% of persons who die by suicide have a diagnosable psychiatric disorder at the time of death, although only 46% have a documented diagnosis [2,3].
| A) | Cuba. | ||
| B) | China. | ||
| C) | Russia. | ||
| D) | the United States. |
Suicide rates vary according to race, ethnicity, sex, and many other factors, including age [10]. In almost every country, suicide is predominated by male victims, with the exception of China, which is the only country in which the female suicide rate (14.8 per 100,000) exceeds the male rate (13 per 100,000) [11]. In the United States, the number of deaths by suicide is nearly four times greater among men (39,046) than among women (10,270) [6]. Overall, suicide accounts for 1.6% of all deaths in the United States and a death rate of 13.7 per 100,000 [1].
| A) | Single | ||
| B) | Married | ||
| C) | Widowed | ||
| D) | Recently separated |
A woman takes her own life every 51.2 minutes in the United States [6]. Suicide is more common among women who are single, recently separated, divorced, or widowed, and the suicide rates for women peak between the ages of 45 to 64 years. Precipitating life events for women who attempt suicide often involve interpersonal losses or crises in significant social or family relationships. As noted, more women attempt suicide than men, and there is a 2 to 3:1 ratio of women versus men with a history of attempted suicide. The higher rates of attempted suicide among women are likely due to the higher rates of mood disorders such as major depression, persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia), and seasonal affective disorder. Factors that may contribute to the lower rates of suicide deaths in women relative to men include stronger social supports, feeling that their relationships are a deterrent to suicide, differences in preferred suicide method, and greater willingness to seek psychiatric and medical intervention [2,14].
| A) | school after hours. | ||
| B) | the residence of a friend. | ||
| C) | home after school hours. | ||
| D) | the residence of a relative. |
Most adolescent suicides occur at home after school hours. Adolescent nonfatal suicide attempters are typically girls who ingest pills, while those who die by suicide are typically boys who die from gunshot wounds. Intentional self-harm should be considered serious and in need of further evaluation because not all adolescent attempters admit their intent. Most adolescent suicide attempts are triggered by interpersonal conflicts and are motivated by the desire to change the behavior or attitude of others. Repeat attempters may use this behavior as a coping mechanism for stress and tend to exhibit more chronic symptomatology, worse coping histories, and higher rates of suicidal and substance abuse behaviors in their family histories [14]. The presence of multiple emotional, behavioral, and/or cognitive problems may be a more important predictor of suicide behavior risk than a specific type of problem (e.g., an addictive behavior or an emotional problem) [14,37]. The presence of acne is associated with social and psychological problems, and certain acne medications have been linked with an increased risk of suicidal ideation [38].
| A) | Untreated depression is a primary cause. | ||
| B) | Suicide is rarely preceded by only one factor. | ||
| C) | The suicide rate in elderly men is 5 times that of same-aged women. | ||
| D) | All of the above |
Among adults 55 years of age and older in 2021, the suicide rate for men was 29.6 deaths per 100,000 people, and the rate for women was 6.2. Among men, the suicide rate increased with increasing age, from 26.6 at ages 55 to 64 years to 55.7 at 85 years and older. The suicide rate among women 55 years of age and older decreased with increasing age, from 7.8 at 55 to 64 years of age to 3.3 at 85 years of age and older. Among adults 55 to 64 years and 65 to 74 years, the suicide rates for men were three to five times higher than the rates for women. Among adults 75 to 84 years of age, the suicide rate for men was almost eight times higher. Among adults 85 years of age and older, the suicide rate for men was nearly 17 times higher than the rate for women [39]. Although undiagnosed and/or untreated depression is the primary cause of suicide in the elderly, suicide completion is rarely preceded by only one factor. Risk factors for suicide in this population include a previous suicide attempt; mental illness; physical illness or uncontrollable pain; fear of a prolonged illness; major changes in social roles, such as retirement; loneliness and social isolation (especially in older men who have recently lost a loved one); and access to lethal means, such as firearms in the home [14].
| A) | Higher income | ||
| B) | Greater family support | ||
| C) | Stigma and discrimination | ||
| D) | Higher perceived safety at school |
The true incidence of suicide among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other gender and sexual minority (LGBTQ+) youth is unknown, but research indicates higher rates of suicidal behavior among LGBTQ+ youth (15 to 24 years of age) compared with heterosexual youth [37,40]. Among adolescents and young adults, the lifetime prevalence of suicide attempts ranges from 20.5% to 52.4% among LGB individuals versus 4.2% to 24.8% among same-aged heterosexuals [41,42,43]. Among adolescents and young adults, past-year suicide attempts are more than 4.5 times higher among LGBTQ+ youth than same-aged heterosexual youth [14,44,45].
| A) | Shame and stigma | ||
| B) | Access to effective clinical care | ||
| C) | Restricted access to highly lethal means of suicide | ||
| D) | Strong connections to family and community support |
Several protective factors against suicide behavior have been identified [4,62]. These include:
Access to effective clinical care for mental, physical, and substance use disorders, and support for help-seeking
Restricted access to highly lethal means of suicide
Strong connections to family, school, and community support
Emotionally supportive connections with medical and mental health providers
Support from partners, friends, and family
Effective problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills
Cultural and religious beliefs that discourage suicide and support self-preservation
Strong sense of cultural identity
Reality testing ability
Pregnancy, children in the home, or sense of family responsibility
Life satisfaction; reasons for living (e.g., family, friends, pets)
| A) | Local clusters of suicide | ||
| B) | Media exposure to suicide | ||
| C) | History of childhood physical or sexual abuse | ||
| D) | Barriers to accessing mental health care or support |
In addition to risk factors specific to special populations, there are many general risk factors common among most populations. General biopsychosocial risk factors include [2,4,62]:
Psychiatric disorders
Alcohol and other substance use disorders
Hopelessness
Impulsive and/or aggressive tendencies
History of physical or sexual trauma or abuse, especially in childhood
Medical illness involving the brain or central nervous system (CNS)
Family history of suicide
Suicidal ideas, plans, or attempts (current or previous)
Lethality of suicidal plans or attempts
| A) | Less than 10% | ||
| B) | 25% | ||
| C) | 50% | ||
| D) | 90% |
Research has found that an estimated 46% of people who die by suicide have a known psychiatric illness [2,3]. The psychiatric conditions with the greatest association with suicidal behavior are depression, bipolar disorder, substance abuse, schizophrenia, and personality disorders.
| A) | schizophrenia. | ||
| B) | panic disorder. | ||
| C) | anxiety disorder. | ||
| D) | major depression. |
Major depression is the psychiatric diagnosis most commonly associated with suicide. A family history of depression is common among persons with the disorder, as is a family history of suicide [63]. The risk of suicide in persons with major depression is roughly 20 times that of the general population [14]. About 30% of all patients with major depression attempt suicide, half of whom ultimately take their own lives [64]. More than 60% of persons who die by suicide are clinically depressed at the time of their deaths, although this climbs to 75% when patients with comorbid depression and alcohol use disorder are added. Seven of every 100 men and 1 of every 100 women diagnosed with depression will die by suicide [14]. In 2024, an estimated 21.4 million adults (18 years of age or older) in the United States had a past-year major depressive episode. More than 14 million had serious thoughts of suicide, 4.6 million made a suicide plan, and 2.2 million attempted suicide [65]. In one survey of adults who experienced depression in the previous year, 56.3% thought it would be better if they were dead during their worst or most recent episode, 40.3% contemplated suicide, 14.5% made a suicide plan, and 10.4% attempted suicide [66]. Among persons with depression, those with a history of multiple episodes of depression and those with an alcohol or other substance use disorder are at greatest risk [2]. Persons with depression who exhibit the following symptoms are at heightened risk for suicide [2,14]:
Extreme hopelessness or desperation
A lack of interest in previously pleasurable activities
Intense anxiety and/or panic attacks
Insomnia
Talk of suicide or history of attempts
Irritability, agitation, or enraged behavior
Isolation
| A) | A substantial proportion of suicide victims test positive for alcohol and/or other drugs. | ||
| B) | Comorbid substance use and psychiatric disorders substantially increase the risk of suicidal behavior. | ||
| C) | Alcohol and drug abuse are second only to mood disorders as conditions most associated with suicide. | ||
| D) | All of the above |
Alcohol and drug abuse are second only to depression and other mood disorders as conditions most associated with suicide. Substance use disorders and disordered mood are often comorbid. The suicide risk among patients with alcohol use disorder is 50% to 70% higher than the general population. Alcohol abuse is a factor in roughly 30% of suicides, and about 7% of persons with alcohol dependence die by suicide [2,14,68].
In 2011, an estimated 228,366 emergency department admissions were made for alcohol- or drug-related suicide attempts. Almost all (94.7%) involved either a prescription drug or an over-the-counter medication [69]. Approximately 64.4% involved multiple drugs, and 29% involved alcohol [69].
| A) | Unemployment | ||
| B) | Marriage among men | ||
| C) | Previous suicide attempt | ||
| D) | Occupations such as veterinary surgeons, pharmacists, dentists, and farmers |
Divorced, widowed, and single people have a higher suicide risk. Marriage appears to be protective for men, but not so for women. Marital separation also increases the risk of suicide [59,60].
Certain occupational groups, such as veterinary surgeons, pharmacists, dentists, farmers, and medical practitioners, have higher rates of suicide. Although obvious explanations are lacking, access to lethal means, work pressure, social isolation, and financial difficulties may account for the heightened risk [59,60].
Unemployment and suicide are also correlated, although the nature of the association is complex. Poverty, social deprivation, domestic difficulties, and hopelessness likely mediate the effect of unemployment, but persons with psychiatric illness and personality disorders are also more likely to be unemployed. Recent job loss is a greater risk factor than long-term unemployment.
Approximately 20% of people who kill themselves had made a previous attempt, making previous serious suicide attempts a very high risk factor for future attempts [2].
| A) | Traumatic brain injury | ||
| B) | Administrative separation from service/unit | ||
| C) | Combat exposure (particularly deployment to a combat theater and/or adverse deployment experiences) | ||
| D) | All of the above |
Veterans and military members often possess many risk factors for attempting or completing suicide. This includes combat exposure (particularly deployment to a combat theater and/or adverse deployment experiences), combat wounds, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health problems, comorbid major depression, traumatic brain injury, poor social support, feelings of not belonging or of being a burden to others or society, acquired ability to inflict lethal self-injury, and access to lethal means [50,54,80,81,82]. There is conflicting evidence of the role of PTSD in suicide risk, with some studies finding PTSD diagnosis to be protective while others indicated it increased risk. Other possible risk factors include [49,55]:
Disciplinary actions
Reduction in rank
Career threatening change in fitness for duty
Perceived sense of injustice or betrayal (unit/command)
Command/leadership stress, isolation from unit
Transferring duty station
Administrative separation from service/unit
Military sexual trauma
| A) | Decreased alcohol and/or other drug use | ||
| B) | Distant history of humiliation, failure, or severe loss | ||
| C) | Making a plan (e.g., giving away prized possessions) | ||
| D) | Recent inhibition and unwillingness to take necessary risks |
Most people who are suicidal exhibit warning signs, whether or not they are in an acute suicide crisis. These warning signs should be taken seriously and include observable signs of serious depression, such as unrelenting low mood, pessimism, hopelessness, desperation, anxiety, psychic pain, and inner tension; withdrawal from friends and/or social activities; sleep problems; and loss of interest in personal appearance, hobbies, work, and/or school [2,14]. Other signs include:
Increased alcohol and/or other drug use
Recent impulsiveness and taking unnecessary risks
Talk about suicide, death, and/or no reason to live
Making a plan (e.g., giving away prized possessions, sudden or impulsive purchase of a firearm, or obtaining other means of killing oneself, such as poisons or medications)
Unexpected rage, anger, or other drastic behavior change
Recent humiliation, failure, or severe loss (especially a relationship)
Unwillingness to "connect" with potential helpers.
| A) | dementia. | ||
| B) | fatal intent. | ||
| C) | suicidal behaviors. | ||
| D) | a desire to relieve tension, release anger, and regain self-control. |
Intentional self-harm is behavior related to, but distinct from, suicide behavior and includes suicide attempts and nonsuicidal self-injurious behaviors, such as burning, cutting, and hair pulling, that does not have fatal intent [85]. Self-injurious behavior falls into three categories [85]:
Major self-injury: Infrequent, usually associated with psychosis or intoxication
Stereotypic self-injury: Repetitive and reflects a biologic drive of self-harm
Superficial-to-moderate self-injury: The most common form and is used by self-mutilators to relieve tension, release anger, regain self-control, escape from misery, or terminate a state of depersonalization
| A) | Firearms | ||
| B) | Prescription drugs | ||
| C) | Rope (i.e., suffocation) | ||
| D) | Household toxins (e.g., bleach) |
In the United States from 2019 to 2023, use of a firearm was the cause of 13,445 suicide deaths in individuals 18 to 24 years of age. It was fourth out of the top five causes of injury death in this age group, accounting for 11.8% of suicide deaths [89]. Firearm use for suicide completion among individuals 65 years of age and older was third of the top five causes of injury death in this age group, accounting for 8.4% (34,547) of injury-related deaths [89]. In 2023, firearms were used in 55.3% of all suicides [13].
Although most gun owners report keeping a firearm in their home for the purpose of protection or self-defense, 83% of gun-related deaths in these homes are the result of a suicide, usually by someone other than the gun owner. Guns are involved in more deaths by suicide than by homicide, and overall, death by firearm is the most common suicide method [13,89].
| A) | Show a willingness to help. | ||
| B) | Establish a positive rapport with the patient. | ||
| C) | Ask closed-ended and direct questions at the beginning of the meeting. | ||
| D) | Gradually ask a series of open-ended questions probing for feelings, thoughts, and behaviors consistent with suicide risk. |
Healthcare providers may encounter a patient they suspect is suicidal. This suspicion may be prompted by the presence of one or more of the risk factors for suicide described previously, patient history, a statement expressed by the patient, or by their intuition. This scenario may present a dilemma of how to proceed. Although some healthcare professionals are uncomfortable with suicidal patients, it is essential not to ignore or deny the suspicion of suicide risk. The first and most immediate step is to allocate adequate time to the patient, even though many others may be scheduled. Showing a willingness to help begins the process of establishing a positive rapport with the patient. Closed-ended and direct questions at the beginning of the interview are not very helpful; instead, use open-ended questions such as, "You look very upset; tell me more about it." Listening with empathy is in itself a major step in reducing the level of suicidal despair and overall distress [59,60]. It is helpful to lead into the topic gradually with a sequence of useful questions, such as [59,60]:
Do you feel unhappy and helpless?
Do you feel desperate?
Do you feel unable to face each day?
Do you feel life is a burden?
Do you feel life is not worth living?
Have you had thoughts of ending your own life?
| A) | recent suicidal ideation who have no specific plans or intent to engage in lethal self-directed violence and have no history of active suicidal behavior. | ||
| B) | an appropriately managed mental disorder who do not report suicidal thoughts. | ||
| C) | current suicidal ideation but with no intent or preparatory behavior. | ||
| D) | warning signs, serious thoughts of suicide, a plan and/or intent to engage in lethal self-directed violence, a recent suicide attempt, and/or those with prominent agitation, impulsivity, psychosis. |
DETERMINE LEVEL OF RISK FOR SUICIDE AND APPROPRIATE ACTION
| Risk of Suicide Attempt | Indicators of Suicide Risk | Contributing Factorsa | Initial Action Based on Level of Risk | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High acute risk |
|
|
| ||||||||||
| Intermediate acute risk |
| Existence of warning signs or risk factorsb and limited protective factors |
| ||||||||||
| Low acute risk |
| Existence of protective factors and limited risk factors |
| ||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| A) | Treat presenting problems | ||
| B) | Refer to behavioral health provider for complete evaluation and interventions | ||
| C) | Immediate transfer with escort to urgent/emergency care setting for hospitalization | ||
| D) | Maintain direct observational control of the patient |
DETERMINE LEVEL OF RISK FOR SUICIDE AND APPROPRIATE ACTION
| Risk of Suicide Attempt | Indicators of Suicide Risk | Contributing Factorsa | Initial Action Based on Level of Risk | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High acute risk |
|
|
| ||||||||||
| Intermediate acute risk |
| Existence of warning signs or risk factorsb and limited protective factors |
| ||||||||||
| Low acute risk |
| Existence of protective factors and limited risk factors |
| ||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| A) | Definition of the desired outcomes | ||
| B) | Clear identification of the intended population | ||
| C) | Use of interventions known to effect a particular outcome | ||
| D) | Acting independently to eliminate the need for coordination |
Understanding the interactive relationship between risk and protective factors in suicidal behavior and how this interaction can be modified forms the basis of suicide prevention [4,113]. The characteristics shared by effective suicide prevention programs include clear identification of the intended population, definition of desired outcomes, use of interventions known to effect a particular outcome, and use of community coordination and organization to achieve an objective. Prevention efforts are based on a clear plan with goals, objectives, and implementation steps [4,91].