Suicide is a Major Public Health Problem
Suicide touches the lives of far too many Americans. If you want to help advance prevention strategies, take a moment to digest the data and see where the needs are.
In North Carolina
1,600+
people died by suicide in 20221
4 deaths
by suicide every day1
3x
higher suicide rate for men3
2.5x
higher suicide rate for veterans3
Adults age 45-64
are the most at-risk age group3
59% of
suicide deaths
are firearm-related from 2013-20223
$16 Billion+
financial impact of suicide deaths alone in 20223
The Mental
Health Crisis
The rise in deaths by suicides coincides with a dramatic rise in unmet mental health needs.
Crisis Services in North Carolina
128,385
total calls, texts, and chats to 988 in 20244
45.5%
of contacts are from repeat callers4
9,000+
contacts are for suicidal threats4
Mental Health and Suicide Deaths in North Carolina3
7 out of 10 women had a current mental health problem
5 out of 10 men had a current mental health problem
57% of women were in mental health treatment
57%
34% of men were in mental health treatment
34%
Suicide Prevention Strategies Can Save Lives
Resources
Find guidance on suicide and suicide prevention, such as helpful overviews, fact sheets, data, and more.
Data Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Suicide Data and Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/data.html
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2024). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No.PEP24-07-021, NSDUH Series H-59). Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2023-nsduh-annual-national-report
- North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Suicide and Self-inflicted Injury Death and Morbidity in North Carolina, 2022. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Finjuryfreenc.dph.ncdhhs.gov%2Fresources%2Fdocs%2FSuicide_SelfHarm_Core_Slides_PPT_Template_2022_NoLinks.pptx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK
- North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. North Carolina 988 Performance Dashboard. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://dashboards.ncdhhs.gov/t/DMHDDSAS/views/988PerformanceDashboard112022thru102023_17002346658920/988Dashboard?%3Aembed=y&%3AisGuestRedirectFromVizportal=y
