There were 47,173 suicides in 2017 in the United States, making suicide the tenth leading cause of death in America and in Michigan. In our state, on average, one person dies by suicide every seven hours. More than twice as many people die by suicide in Michigan annually than by homicide. In 2016, the highest suicide rate (19.72) was among adults between 45 and 54 years of age. The second highest rate (18.98) occurred in those 85 years or older. Younger groups have had consistently lower suicide rates than middle-aged and older adults. In 2016, adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 24 had a suicide rate of 13.15.
It is estimated that for every suicide, at least six other family members, friends, and co-workers are intimately affected and left to survive the terrible loss.
The most effective way of preventing suicide is to learn to recognize the signs, take those signs seriously, and know how to respond to them.