Year: 2000 Source: Trends in Evidence-Based Neuro-Psychiatry, v.2, no.3, (2000), p.44-48 SIEC No: 20100600

Using published statistics, vital & health statistics, & national labour & economic data, this paper estimates the economic costs of suicide in the United States for the year 2000. If the trend of declining suicide rates continued through 2000, a loss of 30,000 lives at a cost of 978,000 person-years was anticipated, at a value of nearly $12.4 billion in foregone productivity & lost wages. Further studies are needed to examine how suicides impact other costs, such as the traumatic impact of suddent death on the health status of surviving members of the victim’s family. (30 refs.) JA