Suicide is a devastating event with catastrophic human and economic costs. In many cases suicide can be prevented, yet it continues to present a major public health problem.
In 2004, it was the 11th leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for the loss of 32,439 friends, family and neighbors. The overall rate was 10.9 suicide deaths per 100,000 people. 1 In Colorado Springs that same year, the rate was 26 suicide deaths per 100,000 people. However, over a 15-year span, Colorado Springs’ suicide rate averages 19 suicides per 100,000 residents.
The loss of a loved one by suicide is not only extremely painful but is often totally unexpected. The grief that ensues can be intense, complex and long-term. Survivors often struggle with the reasons why the suicide occurred and whether they could have done something to prevent it.
Suicide is best understood as a very complex human behavior with no single determining cause. Research shows that the risk factors for suicide include: depression and other mental disorders, a substance abuse disorder, hopelessness, impulsive and/or aggressive tendencies, history of trauma or abuse, some major physical illnesses, previous suicide attempts, and a family history of suicide. 2 Certain environmental factors, such as the death of a loved one or job loss, can lead to a suicide attempt.
Recognizing these risk factors and providing early intervention can save lives. In 2001, the Surgeon General called for communities across the nation to institute broad-scale, comprehensive strategies to prevent suicide. One of the suggested approaches was increased public awareness and education.
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) : www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars
2. Suicide Prevention Resource Center. Suicide Prevention: The Public Health Approach and Risk and Protective Factors for Suicide. http://library.sprc.org/
El Paso County Suicide Rates: Cause for Alarm?
Pikes Peak Behavioral Health Group (PPBHG) and Suicide Prevention Partnership (SPP) collaborated to bring together key stakeholders and the public to educate on the problem of suicide in our community and plan next steps for a sui