Suicide and Women

....Some shocking facts:

A woman commits suicide every 90 minutes in the U.S., but it is estimated that one woman attempts suicide every 78 seconds.

Women attempt suicide twice as much as men.

The higher rate of attempted suicide in women is attributed to the elevated rate of mood disorders among females, such as major depression, dysthymia and seasonal affective disorder.

In the U.S. in 1995, the suicide rate among women was 4.4 per 100,000, while for men it was 19.8 per 100,000.

Although women attempt suicide more often, men complete suicide at a rate four times that of women.

The suicide rates for women peak between the ages of 40-54 years old, and do so again after age 75.

The suicide rate for women ages 15-24 has doubled since 1950, while the rate for younger girls ages 10-14 has nearly tripled since 1980.

The rate for young African American females ages 10-14 has quadrupled from from .1 /100,000 in 1980 to .42 /100,000 in 1995.

Firearms are now the leading method of suicide in women, as well as men.

Suicide is more common among women who are single, recently separated, divorced, or widowed.

The precipitating life events for women who attempt suicide tend to be interpersonal losses or crises in significant social or family relationships.

Many women who suffer from depressive illness experience their first episode in the postpartum period. 60-80% of women experience transient depression, and 10-15% of women develop clinical depression during the postpartum period.

Women are more likely than men to have stronger social supports, to feel that their relationships are deterrents to committing suicide, and to seek psychiatric and medical intervention.

Although many effective treatments exist, suicide in women remains a much underrecognized, underdiagnosed, and undertreated problem.


*by Women's Health