Suicidal Thoughts & Behavior

About

This page shares information about U.S. emergency department (ED) visits related to suicide for both youth and adults, as well as survey data on suicidal thoughts and attempts among youth. Data are available at the national and state levels by age, sex, and race and ethnicity, for recent years.
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What to know

  • Suicide is a leading cause of death among youth and adults in the U.S. For every American who dies by suicide, many more make a plan or attempt suicide and may seek care in an emergency department (ED).1
  • About 49% of all people who die by suicide have a history of a known diagnosed mental health condition, and mental health conditions may go undiagnosed.2 Ensuring that people get access to mental health care when they need it can help reduce the risk of suicide.
  • At the same time, about half of all people who die by suicide do not have a known diagnosed mental health condition at their time of death. Many factors at the individual, relationship, and community levels can contribute to suicide.

National Strategy for Suicide Prevention

The National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (2024) promotes a coordinated, comprehensive approach to suicide prevention in communities across the country. The Federal Action Plan prioritizes actions for CDC and other agencies, including strengthening data and implementing suicide prevention practices within communities, health care settings, and schools.

ED visits related to suspected suicide attempts data

National: Rate of ED visits related to suspected suicide attempts

Out of every 100,000 ED visits, 147 visits were related to suspected suicide attempts as of March 2025.

Suicide risk among veterans

Image of uniformed military staff

Veterans experience higher suicide rates than the general population.3 To address this, the CDC's Comprehensive Suicide Prevention program is helping states implement interventions for veterans. The Make the Connection campaign also features stories, videos, and mental health information for veterans.

Youth considered attempting suicide data

National & by state: Youth who reported considering attempting suicide

Most recent 2023 data show 20% or 1 in 5 U.S. high school students reported seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year.

Suicide risk among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth

Native American women hugging

CDC's Tribal Suicide Prevention Program supports tribes to identify, implement, evaluate, and improve community-based interventions that reduce risk factors for suicide.

Youth made a suicide plan data

National & by state: Youth who reported making a suicide plan

Most recent 2023 data show 16% or 1 in 6 U.S. high school students reported making a suicide plan in the past year.

Starting conversations

Be the one to ask, keep them safe, be there, help them connect, follow up.

If you are concerned about someone who is struggling with their mental health, taking the time to check in on them can help. If needed, follow these five evidence-based action steps for communicating with someone who may be suicidal.

Youth attempted suicide data

National & by state: Youth who reported attempting suicide

Most recent 2023 data show 10% or 1 in 10 U.S. high school students reported attempting suicide in the past year.

Notice

CI = Confidence interval of 95% indicates that 95% of the time, the value is expected to fall within this estimated range.

For statistical tests used, refer to data notes.

Explore original data source tools

Design elements from CDC data systems
CDC supports national and state level data systems to help us understand mental health in the U.S. This page features data excerpted from select systems.
  • National Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP) tracks symptoms and diagnoses of patients in EDs and other settings, in near real-time, so that public health officials can detect unusual levels of illness to determine whether a response is needed. Local and state health departments, CDC, and partners collaborate to collect and provide ED data.
  • Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS) Explorer displays data on mental health, social and emotional support, bullying, racism, suicide, and social media use. You can select Other Health Topics and Unintentional Injuries and Violence buttons in the tool to view these measures.
Keep Reading: Mental Health Data Sources

Resources

Ready to take action?

CDC promotes a population health approach that addresses the drivers of well-being and mental distress. Individuals, organizations, and communities can adopt strategies to promote well-being and prevent mental health conditions before they develop or worsen.

Resources for Population Mental Health
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Content Source:
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
  1. CDC. (2024). Facts about Suicide. Retrieved March 25, 2025 from https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/index.html
  2. Nguyen, B.L., Lyons, B.H., Forsberg, K., et al. (2024). Surveillance for Violent Deaths — National Violent Death Reporting System, 48 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, 2021. MMWR Surveill Summ 73(No. SS-5), 1–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.ss7305a1
  3. CDC. (2025). Health disparities in suicide. Retrieved March 27, 2025 from https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/disparities/index.html