NSDUH: 4% of US adults seriously consider suicide

Approximately 4% of American adults had serious thoughts about suicide in the past year, according to results from the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

“We must continue to raise awareness that suicide is preventable, and provide effective, science-based services to everyone who needs it,” Kana Enomoto, MA, principal deputy administrator at SAMHSA, said in a press release. “SAMHSA and others have programs in place to save lives and lead people toward a brighter future. Everyone — family, friends, teachers, faith community leaders, coworkers, health care providers — can save a life by reaching out to someone in crisis and assisting them in getting the help they need.”

Kana Enomoto

To assess trends in suicidal thoughts and behavior among Americans, researchers reviewed data from the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which had a target sample size of 67,500 interviews among individuals aged 12 years and older.

In 2015, 9.8 million (4%) adults aged 18 years or older had serious thoughts of suicide in the past year. Of these, 2.7 million (1.1%) made suicide plans and 1.4 million (0.6%) made a nonfatal suicide attempt.

Young adults aged 18 to 25 years were more likely to have serious thoughts of suicide, make suicide plans or attempt suicide, compared with adults in other age groups.

Serious thoughts of suicide increased from 7.5% in 2014 to 8.3% in 2015 among young adults. This increase was mostly due to a significant increase in young adult females who attempted suicide in 2015, which increased from 1.5% in 2014 to 2% in 2015.

Serious thoughts of suicide did not significantly differ between males and females aged 18 years or older, but did among those aged 18 to 25 years.

In 2015, the percentage of adults with serious thoughts of suicide was higher among those who used alcohol, binged or heavily consumed alcohol, used illicit drugs, had a substance use disorder or major depressive episode in the past year.

More than half of adults who had serious thoughts of suicide in 2015 did not receive mental health services in the past year. Approximately one in eight perceived a need for mental health treatment but did not seek care. – by Amanda Oldt

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.

Reference:

Piscopo K, et al. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Suicidal thoughts and behavior among adults: Results from the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Available at: http://www.samhsa.gov/data. Accessed September 22, 2016.