Understanding Suicide: a National Epidemic

Suicide is among the top three causes of death for young people ages 15 to 24. In fact, it is a global epidemic, claiming 41,000 lives per year in the United States alone. Suicide touches people of all ages—from those who consider and attempt suicide to those who lose a loved to suicide. Yet silence often surrounds these deaths and makes the suicide phenomenon difficult to understand. What drives people to take their lives? How can suicides be prevented?  A variety of factors can contribute to suicidal thoughts and actions. Looking beyond common myths and misconceptions related to suicide, author Connie Goldsmith examines common risk factors—including mental illness, substance abuse, domestic abuse, and bullying—and explores how particular stressors and vulnerabilities can put teens, members of the military, and adults older than 65 at risk for suicide.  For those at risk for suicide, help is possible. A wide range of health care resources, coping strategies, and support systems can give people the tools to cope with the challenges in their lives. For those who fear a loved one may be at risk for suicide, Goldsmith covers warning signs, ways to reach out to a suffering loved one, and precautions that can save lives. And for people struggling in the wake of a loved one’s suicide, survivors’ personal stories offer honest examinations of both grief and hope.