In 2021, 12.3 million American adults seriously thought about suicide, 3.5 million planned a suicide attempt, and 1.7 million attempted suicide. Suicide was the second leading cause of death for people ages 10–14 and 20–34 in 2021.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) defines “suicidal ideation” as “thinking about, considering or planning suicide.”
The suicide rate in the United States has steadily increased over the past 20 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Suicide was responsible for 48,183 deaths in 2021 — this represents a 36% increase in the national suicide rate since 2000. According to preliminary data, the national suicide rate increased an additional 2% between 2021 and 2022.
