Phila.gov
Read the full report at PewTrusts.org
Suicide is a complex public health issue that affects millions of Americans every year. The U.S. suicide rate rose by 30% from 2000 to 2020, with disproportionately large increases among young adults, veterans, and certain racial and ethnic groups. The total number of suicides climbed to more than 49,000 deaths in 2022—the highest number ever recorded in the country. An estimated 1.6 million adults attempted suicide that same year.
Multiple factors at the individual, social, and structural levels influence suicide and require comprehensive public health solutions. One approach focuses on health care settings, because research shows that most people who die by suicide visited a health provider in the prior month or year. Specifically, in a study of more than 2,600 individuals who died by suicide from 2000 to 2013, researchers found that nearly 30% of the decedents made some type of health care visit in the seven days before their death, 54.3% in the prior month, and more than 90% within the year. This data suggests that providers in health care settings have the opportunity to identify individuals experiencing suicide risk and ensure that they are connected to evidence-based care.
Public policy can provide incentives for health care settings and providers to implement proven strategies to help prevent suicide. The World Health Organization endorses a policy approach to suicide prevention, saying suicide is a health issue that “needs to be prioritized on the global public health and public policy agendas.” At the state and local levels, policymakers should “build suicide prevention into the fabric of a community, … unlock opportunities, build partnerships,” and foster safe and healthy communities to save lives.
