U.S. States With The Highest Suicide Rates

Men of all ages are more likely than women to commit or attempt suicide with the likelihood of men committing suicide being close to four times more than that of women. Suicide rates in the US have been on a constant rise in the last thirty years. With 28.9 deaths per 100,000 people, Montana has the highest suicide rate in the US according to the CDC. 

General Statistics On Suicide In The US

The highest rates of suicide are among the elderly population, with men and women above 85 years contributing up to 19.3% of all the suicides reported. The second group is middle-aged persons between the ages of 45 and 64 with a total of 19.2% of the total suicides. Younger people have fewer cases of suicides while teenagers contribute to 11.6% of the reported suicides.

White people in the US have recorded the highest rates of suicide at 14.7% followed by Native Americans at 10.9%, Hispanics at 6.3%, Asians, and Pacific Islanders at 5.9% with the lowest rates being among black Americans at 5.5%. Firearms are the most used methods in suicide with 49.9% of the deaths, followed by suffocation at 26.7%, and poisoning at 15.9% other methods contribute to 7.5% of the deaths. Due to the stigma associated with suicide, most of the cases go unreported. Suicide rates in the US have increased by 24% in last fifteen years from 10.5 to 13.0 persons in 100,000 persons. Suicide takes up about 24% of the allocated funds for fatal injuries causing massive economic losses.

States With The Highest Suicide Rates In US

The suicide rate for the United States is 14 deaths per 100,000 people. Some states in the US have recorded rates that are higher than the overall rates in the country, and this includes Alaska that has a rate of 27. Other states with high suicide rates include Wyoming with 26.9 deaths, New Mexico with 23.3, Utah at 22.7, Idaho at 23.2, Nevada at 20.3 and Oklahoma at 19.1. The causes for the high suicide rates have been stated as access to firearms, mental illnesses, substance abuse, and poor access to medical care for mental illnesses.

The US States With Low Suicide Rates

These are states with suicide rates that are lower than the national rate. They include New Jersey with a rate of 8.3, New York with a rate of 8.1 and Massachusetts with a rate of 9.5. The low suicide rates have been associated with increased access to medical services, reduced obesity, smoking, economic stability for most of the families and high funding for public health.

Response To Suicide In The US

Due to the high rates of deaths caused by suicide, several bodies that deal with helping people with suicidal thoughts have been established. Efforts towards reducing suicide include the establishment of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, therapy, medication and the toll-free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for people with suicidal thoughts or those seeking help on their behalf.