New Study Describes Suicide Trends Among and Within Urbanization Levels

New Study Describes Suicide Trends Among and Within Urbanization Levels

Findings present rates of suicide by urbanization level, demographic characteristics, and mechanism of death.

CDC has released, Suicide Trends Among and Within Urbanization Level by Sex, Race/Ethnicity, Age Group, and Mechanism — United States, 2001–2015 in the latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Rural Health Series.

Key Findings

• Rural counties consistently had higher suicide rates than metropolitan counties.
• Across metropolitan and rural areas, suicide rates for males were four to five times higher than for females.
• Suicide rates for black non-Hispanics were consistently lower in rural areas than in urban areas.
• White non-Hispanics have the highest suicide rates in metropolitan counties while American Indian/Alaska native non-Hispanics have the highest rates in rural counties.
• Findings by age group revealed increases in suicide rates for all ages with the highest rates and greatest rate increases in rural counties.

Suicide is preventable with multiple, comprehensive suicide prevention strategies. CDC’s technical package of policies, programs, and practices to prevent suicidehelps communities focus on strategies that have the best available evidence to prevent suicide.

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• Suicides in rural areas occur at higher rates than in urban areas. Suicide is preventable. Help focus prevention efforts in communities where help is needed most. Learn more in new @CDC report: go.usa.gov/xn3pQ

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• Suicide rates are higher in rural areas. Focus prevention efforts in communities that need help: go.usa.gov/xn3pQ #VetoViolence

Learn More

• CDC: Division of Violence Prevention
• CDC: Suicide Prevention
• Preventing Suicide: A Technical Package of Policy, Programs and Practices
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
• The Action Alliance’s Resource Report: Transforming Communities

Contact us at dvpinquiries@cdc.gov