Suicide rising across the United States

By Michael Hernandez 

Both the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Statistics for (2019) and the Vital signs report released from the Center for Disease Control (June, 2018) show that suicide is rising across the United States prior to COVID-19 with no one knowing what the suicide rates have become during this pandemic outbreak.

In fact, Thousand Oaks licensed Psychologist Dr. Shannae Anderson—has been sounding the alarm:  “We are just the tip of the iceberg…We have a mental health epidemic.   What we have is a powder key and the general population will not see the data for months, if ever.”

(Editor’s Note:  To see more on this Citizens Journal story posted April 24th go to:

https://www.citizensjournal.us/psychologist-dr-shannae-anderson-we-are-just-at-the-tip-of-the-iceberg-we-have-a-mental-health-epidemic/.)

Suicide Facts and Figures for the United States 2019: 

• On average, 129 Americans died by suicide each day.
• 47,173 Americans died by suicide.
• Suicide was the 10^th leading cause of death in the United States.
  • 2^nd leading cause of death for ages 15-34.
  • 4^th leading cause of death for ages 35-54.
  • In 2016, the suicide rate was 1.5 times higher for veterans than for non-veterans.
• 4 million Americans attempted suicide.
• 90 percent of those who died by suicide had a diagnosable mental health condition at the time of their death.
• Firearms accounted for more than half (51 percent) of all suicide deaths.
• Men died by suicide 3.5 times more often than women.
• Women were 1.4 times more likely to attempt suicide. 

(Editor’s Note:  California recorded 10.44 suicides per 100,000 making it one of the six lowest States in the nation. For a full report go to:  afsp.org/statistics) 

Center for Disease Control and Prevention Vitalsigns (June, 2018):

• Suicide rates went up more than 30 percent in half of the states since 1999.
• More than 54 percent of people who died by suicide did not have a known mental health condition.
• 42 percent of suicides revolved around relationship problems.
• 29 percent of suicides had a crisis in the past or upcoming two weeks.
• 28 percent of suicides had problematic substance use.
• 22 percent of suicides had a physical health problem.
• 16 percent of suicides had a job/financial problem. 

(Editor’s Note:  California recorded one the 10  lowest increases of suicide rates over the 17-year span from 1999 to 2016.  For a full report go to:  cdc.gov/vitalsigns.  Individuals seeking  mental  health  assistance can call  the  National  Suicide Prevention  Lifeline at

1-800-273-TALK or can go the National Alliance for Mental Health Illness—NAMI—at www.nami.org or those seeking assistance for various addictions can go to:  We Connect Recovery at www.weconnectrecovery.com.)

Michael Hernandez, Co-Founder of the Citizens Journal—Ventura County’s online news service; editor of the History Makers Report and founder of History Makers International—a community nonprofit serving youth and families in Ventura County, is a former Southern California daily newspaper journalist and religion and news editor. He worked 25 years as a middle school teacher in Monrovia and Los Angeles Unified School Districts. Mr. Hernandez can be contacted by email at [email protected].

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