The Facts

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for teens in Canada and third leading cause of death in the US.
Suicide and attempted suicide has increased 300% in the last 30 years
Teen/Youth suicide rates have tripled since 1970
Nine out of ten suicides take place in the home.
For every completed suicide there are an estimated 30 to 50 attempts.
70% of suicides occur between the hours of 3 p.m. to midnight (when they could be saved).
Males complete suicide 4 times more often than females.
Females account for 75% of the attempted suicides (mainly with drug overdoses).
Approximately one-third of teens who die by suicide have made a previous suicide attempt.
Males use more violent means, e.g. guns, hanging.
Only 33 to 50 % were identified by their doctors as having a mental illness at the time of their death and only 15 percent of suicide victims were in treatment at the time of their death.
Spring and fall are the months of highest risk.
An estimated 80% of all those who commit suicide give some warning of their intentions or mention their feelings to a friend or family member.
For every two homicides in the U.S. there are three suicides.
Having a firearm in the home greatly increases the risk of youth suicide. Sixty-four percent of suicide victims 10-24 years old use a firearm to complete the act.
Due to the stigma associated with suicide, available statistics may well underestimate the problem.