Resource Types: Fact Sheet/Issue Brief

Suicide: Facts at a glance 2015

This fact sheet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention presents suicide-related data compiled from various sources.

Surveillance success stories – Kentucky

Inspired by the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention’s Suicide Care in Systems Framework, the Kentucky Garrett Lee Smith program and Department for Behavioral Health, Development, and Intellectual Disabilities (DBHDID) looked at data as a first step in enhancing the ability of Kentucky’s state psychiatric hospitals and community mental health centers (CMHCs) to prevent suicide. This document summarizes lessons learned and next steps.

This story is part of SPRC’s Surveillance Success Story Series, which describes how states, tribes, and health systems access and analyze data on suicide deaths and attempts, and use data to inform evaluation and program planning.

Teen depression

Discusses the prevalence of depression, the difference between depression and sadness, signs and symptoms of depression, how teens can ask for help, self-care, ways in which depression can affect relationships, and that depression is not the “fault” of the individual. Provides resources for further information. Hard copies are available for order.

An introduction to co-occurring borderline personality disorder and substance use disorders in brief

Although the main focus of this fact sheet is the co-occurrence of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), it provides a great deal of information about suicide risk among people with BPD. In fact, BPD is the only mental disorder diagnosis that includes suicide attempts or self-harming behaviors among its diagnostic criteria. As many as 79% of those with BPD attempt and 8 -10% die by suicide. Individuals with co-occurring BPD and SUD can be difficult to treat because the suicidality and self-harm risks associated with BPD may be exacerbated by the use of alcohol or other drugs. 

Visits to emergency departments for drug-related suicide attempts increased

This report analyzed the increase in emergency department visits by age and found that the overall rise resulted from increases in visits by people aged 18 to 29 and people aged 45 to 64.  Visits involving 18 to 29 year olds increased from 47,312 in 2005 to 75,068, a 58 percent increase. Visits involving people aged 45 to 64 increased from 28,802 in 2005 to 58,776 visits in 2011, a 104 percent increase. In 2011, these two age groups comprised approximately 60 percent of all drug-related emergency department visits involving suicide attempts.

Emergency department visits for drug-related suicide attempts among middle-aged adults aged 45-64

This report focused on the 45 to 64 age group, which had the largest increase in emergency department visits involving drug related suicide attempts, and characterized these visits. The report found that the majority (96 percent in 2011) of these visits involved the non-medical use of prescription drugs and over-the-counter-medications. In 2011, these drugs included anti-anxiety and insomnia medications (48 percent), pain relievers (29 percent) and antidepressants (22 percent).