Trends in mortality from poisonings, firearms, and all other injuries by intent in the US, 1999-2020

Importance: Although deaths due to external causes are a leading cause of mortality in the US, trends over time by intent and demographic characteristics remain poorly understood. Objective: To examine national trends in mortality rates due to external causes from 1999 to 2020 by intent (homicide, suicide, unintentional, and undetermined) and demographic characteristics. External causes were defined […]

Comparison of suicide rates among US veteran and nonveteran populations

Introduction The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) estimates that between 2017 and 2020 veteran suicide rates were 1.57 to 1.66 times greater than nonveterans in the US, after adjusting for age and sex differences.1 This finding does not mean that veteran suicide rates are 1.57 to 1.66 times greater than nonveterans with the same age […]

The state of state, territorial, and tribal suicide prevention: Findings from key informant interviews and qualitative web-based survey questions

Given the rise in suicide rates between 1999 and 2016, 33 CDC sought to conduct an environmental scan of suicide prevention infrastructure and activities across states, territories, and tribes in order to better understand the strengths and opportunities for improvement. This report presents an overview of the suicide prevention landscape across multiple domains, depicts a […]

2023 U.S. National Survey on the mental health of LGBTQ young people

The Trevor Project’s 2023 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People amplifies the experiences of more than 28,000 LGBTQ young people ages 13 to 24 across the United States. This survey gives a voice to LGBTQ young people — at a time when their existence is unfairly at the center of […]

Screening for depression, anxiety, and suicide risk in adults: A systematic evidence review for the U.S Preventative Services Task Force

Objective: To review the benefits and harms of screening and treatment for depression, anxiety, and suicide risk, and the accuracy of instruments to detect these conditions among primary care patients. Data Sources: MEDLINE, PsychINFO, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews through September 9, 2022, bridging from prior […]

The validity of a brief risk assessment tool for predicting suicidal behavior in veterans utilizing VHA mental health care

Suicide risk among military veterans is an important and ongoing concern. The Veterans Administration (VA) mandates suicide risk screening of all veterans seen for mental health issues, but little is known about the effectiveness of this screening. A retrospective chart review to examine all suicide risk screens at VA San Diego between October and December […]

Measuring associations of the department of Veterans Affairs’ suicide prevention campaign on the use of crisis support services

Campaigns have become popular in public health approaches to suicide prevention; however, limited empirical investigation of their impact on behavior has been conducted. To address this gap, utilization patterns of crisis support services associated with the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) suicide prevention campaign were examined. Daily call data for the National […]

Comparison of suicide attempters and decedents in the U.S Army: A latent class analysis

A clearer understanding of risk factors for suicidal behavior among soldiers is of principal importance to military suicide prevention. It is unclear whether soldiers who attempt suicide and those who die by suicide have different patterns of risk factors. As such, preventive efforts aimed toward reducing suicide attempts and suicides, respectively, may require different strategies. […]

Suicide and homicide death rates among youth and young adults aged 10-24: United States, 2001-2021

Deaths due to suicide and homicide, often referred to collectively as violent deaths, have been a leading cause of premature death to people aged 10–24 in the United States (1–3). A previous version of this report with data through 2017  showed that suicide and homicide rates for people aged 10–24 were trending upward (4). This […]

2022 National Veteran Suicide Prevention annual report

The 2022 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report analyzes Veteran suicide data from 2001-2020. Containing the most comprehensive set of data about Veteran suicide mortality to date, the report is the first to evaluate Veteran suicide during the initial period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Key report findings In 2020, there were 6,146 Veteran suicide deaths, which was […]

Suicidal thoughts and behaviors among high school students: Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2021

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among high school-aged youths aged 14–18 years. The 2021 suicide rate for this age group was 9.0 per 100,000 population. Updating a previous analysis of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey during 2009–2019, this report uses 2019 and 2021 data to examine high school students’ reports of suicidal […]

Suicide mortality in the United States, 2001-2021

In 2021, suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in the United States, changing from the 10th leading cause in 2019 and the 12th leading cause in 2020 (1). As the second leading cause of death in people aged 10–34 and the fifth in people aged 35–54, suicide contributes to premature mortality (1). After […]

Preventing suicide in the U.S. Military: Recommendations from the Suicide Prevention and Response Independent Review Committee

The Department of Defense has taken note of the SPRIRC’s work and will use it to enhance their current approach in three key priority areas. These areas include fostering quality of life, building healthy climates and cultures, addressing stigma as a barrier to help-seeking, and promoting a culture of lethal means safety. The SPRIRC report […]

Our epidemic of loneliness and isolation 2023: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the healing effects of social connection and community

Introduction: Why Social Connection Matters Our relationships and interactions with family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors are just some of what create social connection. Our connection with others and our community is also informed by our neighborhoods,  digital environments, schools, and workplaces. Social connection—the structure, function, and quality of our relationships with others—is a critical and […]

Health, United States, 2020–2021: Annual perspective

The Health, United States program provides a wide array of trends in health statistics to policymakers, public health professionals, and the public. As part of the program’s legislative mandate, Health, United States is  charged with presenting a comprehensive set of health topics, and examining trends in health status and determinants, healthcare utilization, healthcare resources, and […]

A systems science approach to identifying data gaps in national data sources on adolescent suicidal ideation and suicide attempt in the United States

Background Suicide is currently the second leading cause of death among adolescents ages 10–14, and third leading cause of death among adolescents ages 15–19 in the United States (U.S). Although we have numerous U.S. based surveillance systems and survey data sources, the coverage offered by these data with regard to the complexity of youth suicide […]

Emergency department visits involving mental health conditions, suicide-related behaviors, and drug overdoses among adolescents: United States, January 2019-February 2023

What is already known about this topic? High baseline rates of poor adolescent mental and behavioral health were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. What is added by this report? By fall 2022, weekly ED visits among adolescents, and females in particular, for mental health conditions overall, suicide-related behaviors, and drug overdoses decreased compared with those […]

Pain in the nation: The epidemics of alcohol, drug, and suicide deaths

Deaths from alcohol, drugs, and suicide in the United States have risen alarmingly over the past two decades and exponentially in recent years. Between 2011 and 2021, annual deaths have more than doubled—rising from  an already startling figure of 104,379 deaths in 2011 to a staggering 209,225 deaths in 2021.1 Most of that increase was […]

Longitudinal trends in suicidal thoughts and behaviors among US military veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic

Importance: Concerns have been raised since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic that vulnerable populations, such as military veterans, may be at increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). Objective: To examine longitudinal trends in STBs in US military veterans during the first 3 years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design, setting, and participants: This cohort study is […]

Surveillance for violent deaths: National Violent Death Reporting System, 48 states, the District of Colombia, and Puerto Rico, 2020

Problem/Condition: In 2020, approximately 71,000 persons died of violence-related injuries in the United States. This report summarizes data from CDC’s National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) on violent deaths that occurred in 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico in 2020. Results are reported by sex, age group, race and ethnicity, method of injury, […]

Emergency department visits for suspected suicide attempts among persons aged 12-25 years before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: United States, January 2019-May 2021

During 2020, the proportion of mental health–related emergency department (ED) visits among adolescents aged 12–17 years increased 31% compared with that during 2019. In May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, ED visits for suspected suicide attempts began to increase among adolescents aged 12–17 years, especially girls. During February 21–March 20, 2021, suspected suicide attempt ED […]

The re-emerging suicide crisis in the U.S.: Patterns, causes and solutions

The suicide rate in the United States has risen nearly 40 percent since 2000. This increase is puzzling because suicide rates had been falling for decades at the end of the 20th Century. In this paper, we review important facts about the changing rate of suicide. General trends miss the story of important differences across […]

Social media and youth mental health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory

This Advisory describes the current evidence on the impacts of social media on the mental health of children and adolescents. It states that we cannot conclude social media is sufficiently safe for children and adolescents and outlines immediate steps we can take to mitigate the risk of harm to children and adolescents.