Dr.

Emmanuel Obiako By: Andia Hughes, Linda Ngameduru, Keir Reid-Young, Sybil Williams

 Suicide is the process of purposely ending one's own life. The way societies view suicide varies widely according to culture and religion.

www.suicidology.org

 The latest data available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that 36,909 suicide deaths were reported in the U.S. in 2009. This latest rise places suicide again as the tenth leading cause of death in the U.S. Nationally, the suicide rate increased 2.4 percent over 2008 to equal approximately 12.0 suicides per 100,000 people. The rate of suicide has been increasing since 2000. This is the highest rate of suicide in fifteen years.
www.suicidology.org

 Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death for adults between the ages of 18 and 65 years in the United States. Currently, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. A person dies by suicide about every 15 minutes in the United States. Every day, approximately 101 Americans take their own life.
www.suicidology.org

 Ninety percent of all people who die by suicide have a diagnosable psychiatric disorder at the time of their death. There are four male suicides for every female suicide, but three times as many females as males attempt suicide. There are an estimated 8-25 attempted suicides for every suicide death.
www.suicidology.org

 Nearly 1,000,000 people make a suicide attempt every year.

90% of people who die by suicide have a diagnosable and treatable psychiatric disorder at the time of their death. Most people with mental illness do not die by suicide.

Recent data puts yearly medical costs for suicide at nearly $100 million (2005).
Men are nearly 4 times more likely to die by suicide than women. Women attempt suicide 3 times as often as men www.suicidology.org

 Suicide is the sixth leading cause of death among those 514 years old. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among those 15-24 years old Risk factors for suicide among the young include suicidal thoughts, psychiatric disorders (such as depression, impulsive aggressive behavior, bipolar disorder, certain anxiety disorders), drug and/or alcohol abuse and previous suicide attempts, with the risk increased if there is situational stress and access to firearms.
www.suicidology.org

 The suicide rates for men rise with age, most significantly after age 65. The rate of suicide in men 65+ is seven times that of females who are 65+. The suicide rates for women peak between the ages of 45-54 years old, and again after age 75. About 60 percent of elderly patients who take their own lives see their primary care physician within a few months of their death. Six to 9 percent of older Americans who are in a primary care setting suffer from major depression. More than 30 percent of patients suffering from major depression report suicidal ideation
www.suicidology.org

 Ninety-six percent of alcoholics who die by suicide continue their substance abuse up to the end of their lives. Alcoholism is a factor in about 30 percent of all completed suicides. Approximately 7 percent of those with alcohol dependence will die by suicide.
www.suicidology.org

 Although most gun owners reportedly keep a firearm in their home for "protection" or "self defense," 83 percent of gun-related deaths in these homes are the result of a suicide, often by someone other than the gun owner. Firearms are used in more suicides than homicides. Death by firearms is the fastest growing method of suicide. Firearms account for 50 percent of all suicides
www.suicidology.org

 Patients who desire an early death during a serious or terminal illness are usually suffering from a treatable depressive condition. People with AIDS have a suicide risk up to 20 times that of the general population
www.suicidology.org

 Over 60 percent of all people who die by suicide suffer from major depression. If one includes alcoholics who are depressed, this figure rises to over 75 percent. Depression affects nearly 10 percent of Americans ages 18 and over in a given year, or more than 24 million people. More Americans suffer from depression than coronary heart disease (17 million), cancer (12 million) and HIV/AIDS (1 million). About 15 percent of the population will suffer from clinical depression at some time during their lifetime. Thirty percent of all clinically depressed patients attempt suicide; half of them ultimately die by suicide.
www.suicidology.org

www.census.gov

Baltimore City
Baltimore City Population, 1999 - 2010
Table 2: Estimated Residents in Baltimore City

Philadelphia
Philadelphia Population, 1999 2010
Table 3: Estimated Residents in Philadelphia

Year 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Total Population 657,441 651,154 645,305 638,614 643,304 641,943 640,064 640,961 640,150 636,919 637,418 620,961

Number of AfricanAmericans 418,261 418,951 413,253 412,225 411,972 409,877 396,495 406,491 407,851 401,573 402,721 395,781

Number of NonHispanic Whites 207,763 205,982 199,786 199,290 199,167 196,221 183,974 195,030 206,921 196,112 211,285 183,830

Year 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Total Population 1,417,601 1,486,594 1,498,501 1,492,231 1,479,339 1,470,151 1,463,281 1,448,394 1,449,634 1,447,395 1,547,297 1,526,006

Number of AfricanAmericans 612,194 655,824 No Data No Data 668,103 670,972 669,900 658,197 626,002 652,968 640,665 644,287

Number of NonHispanic Whites 740,046 683,267 No Data 651,558 706,104 702,641 578,733 565,202 570,866 570,866 657,634 562,585

www.census.gov

www.census.gov

www.phila.gov

Suicide Mortality in Baltimore

Year Total Number of Suicidal Mortality 62 61 48 44 33 39 66 57 Number of AfricanAmericans 23 29 27 23 21 15 34 25 Number of NonHispanic Whites 39 32 20 20 12 23 31 29

Suicide Mortality in Philadelphia

Year Total Number of Suicidal Mortality 153
162 138 157 163 151 160 133

Number of AfricanAmericans
* * * * 60 40 24 31

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Number of NonHispanic Whites *

* * * 101 106 93 66

2007
2008 2009

125
128 150

32
43 47

78
111 88

2008
2009 2010

45
50 60

16
18 13

26
31 44

* data for yrs earlier unavailable than 2003 www.census.gov;www.phila.gov

40.0 35.0 30.0 25.0

Total Suicides African American Suicides Non-White Suicides US Suicides

40 35 30 25 20

Total Suicides African American Suicides NonWhite Suicides US Suicides

20.0
15.0 10.0 5.0 0.0

15
10 5 0

www.census.gov;www.matchstats.org

 Suicide, now one of the most leading causes of death, can be prevented with proper treatment modalities. One of the most effective treatments is talk therapy. Programs via schools are helpful in recognizing and aiding teenagers who have problems with suicidal ideations (Dryden-Edwards, 2011). Consistent care and interactions enable open lines of communication and allow for changes to be noted early and acted on. Nurse Practitioners are faced with the fact that it is becoming more elusive to notice and treat people with suicidal ideations. Future goals are focused on better assessment of suicidal thoughts and prompt efficient treatment (Dryden-Edwards, 2011).
Dryden-Edwards,2011

 Center for Disease Control. (2012). Suicides. Retrieved on April 9, 2012 from http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/suicide/index.html. City of Philadelphia Public Health. (2010). Philadelphia Vital Statistic Reports. Retrieved on April 9, 2012 from http://www.phila.gov/health/Commissioner/VitalStatistics.html. Crosby, MD, A. E., Han, MD, PhD, B., Ortega, MD, L., Parks, PhD, S., & Gfroerer, BA, J. (2011). Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Adults Aged > 18 Years-United States, 2008-2009. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 60(13), 1-22. Dryden-Edwards, MD, R. (2011). Suicides. Retrieved on April 7, 2012 from http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=24418. Maryland Assessment Tool for Community Health. (2012). Suicide. Retrieved on April 9, 2012 from http://www.matchstats.org/cgibin/broker.dll?_SERVICE=MDMATCH&_PROGRAM=match.deathsmap.sas. Philadelphia Vital Statistics. (2011). Retrieved on April 9, 2012 from http://www.phila.gov/health/pdfs/2007%20Vital%20Statistics%20Report_10.1.10 _final.pdf. US Census Bureau. (2010). Death Rates by Suicides. Retrieved on April 9, 2012 from www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2011/tables/11s0125.xls - 2010-12-07.