Suicidal Thoughts & Behavior

For Everyone

About

The CDC Mental Health Data Channel uses recent data to tell the story of mental health and well-being in the U.S. This page shares information about U.S. emergency department (ED) visits related to suicide for both youth and adults, as well as survey data on suicidal thoughts and attempts among youth. Data is available at the national and state levels by age, sex, and race and ethnicity, for recent years.
CDC Mental Health Data Channel

What to know

  • Suicide is a leading cause of death among youth and adults in the U.S.
  • For every American who dies by suicide, many more make a plan or attempt suicide and may seek care in an emergency department (ED)1.
  • About half of all people who die by suicide have a history of a known diagnosed mental health condition, and mental health conditions may go undiagnosed.2 At the same time, about half of all people who die by suicide do not have a known diagnosed mental health condition at their time of death.

Get Help Now

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

In crisis? If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, confidential, free, 24/7/365 help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org


Resources for help

Visualizations

Select a topic

ED visits related to suspected suicide attempts data **

National: Rate of ED visits related to suspected suicide attempts

Youth considered attempting suicide data **

National & by state: Youth who reported considering attempting suicide

Reported considering attempting suicide in the past year **

1 of 5
Most recent 2023 data shows 20% or 1 in 5 U.S. high school students reported seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year.

Youth made a suicide plan data **

National & by state: Youth who reported making a suicide plan

Reported making a suicide plan in the past year **

1 of 6
Most recent 2023 data shows 16% or 1 in 6 U.S. high school students reported making a suicide plan in the past year.

Youth attempted suicide data **

National & by state: Youth who reported attempting suicide

Reported attempting suicide in the past year **

1 of 10
Most recent 2023 data shows 10% or 1 in 10 U.S. high school students reported attempting suicide in the past year.

Why it matters

  • Ensuring that people get access to mental health care when they need it can help reduce the risk of suicide. Everyone can help prevent suicide by learning the warning signs, building resilience, and promoting social connection to reduce feelings of loneliness.
  • Many factors at the individual, relationship, and community levels can also contribute to suicide. The National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (2024) promotes a coordinated, comprehensive approach to suicide prevention in communities across the country. Its Federal Action Plan prioritizes actions for CDC and other agencies, including strengthening data and implementing suicide prevention practices within communities, health care settings, and schools.
  • If needed, follow these five evidence-based action steps for communicating with someone who may be suicidal.

What CDC Is Doing

Two people holding hands
Comprehensive Suicide Prevention
CDC takes a comprehensive public health approach to suicide prevention
Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Means All of the …
American Indian family playing cards around a table
Tribal Suicide Prevention
CDC funding supports tribal organizations' suicide prevention efforts.

Explore original data source tools

Design elements from CDC data systems
CDC supports national and state level data systems to help us understand mental health in the U.S. This page features data excerpted from select systems.
  • National Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP) tracks symptoms and diagnoses of patients in EDs and other settings, in near real-time, so that public health officials can detect unusual levels of illness to determine whether a response is needed. Local and state health departments, CDC, and partners collaborate to collect and provide ED data.
  • Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS) Explorer displays data about high school students' health behaviors and experiences, such as mental and physical health, substance use, social and emotional support, and suicide risks.

Though not featured on this page, these select systems also contain data on suicide:

Federal Partners

Federal partners also provide data on suicide. To learn more, visit these sites:

Keep Reading Mental Health Data Sources

Resources

Ready to take action?

CDC promotes a population health approach that addresses the drivers of well-being and mental distress. Individuals, organizations, and communities can adopt strategies to promote well-being and prevent mental health conditions before they develop or worsen.
Resources for Population Mental Health

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Content Source:
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
  1. CDC. (2024). Facts about Suicide. Retrieved March 25, 2025 from https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/index.html
  2. Forsberg K, Sheats KJ, Blair JM, et al. (2025). Surveillance for Violent Deaths — National Violent Death Reporting System, 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, 2022. MMWR Surveill Summ 74(No. SS-5):1–42. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.ss7405a1.