| CatalogMendocino County Suicide Death Statistics
Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States. In 2017, over 47,000 Americans took their own lives. The national suicide rate has been rising steadily since the mid-2000's. However, the increase in suicide rates is not distributed equally among regions, or demographic groups. This report examines the data for Mendocino County, California.
Individuals, the media, and public health departments in Mendocino County and throughout the country all have important roles to play in reducing the risk of suicide. The CDC released a technical package (pdf) of suicide-prevention policies, programs, and practices. Individuals interested in learning more about suicide can visit the National Suicide Prevention Hotline's website, Be the One to Save a Life.
Suicide and Demographics in Mendocino County, California
By Sex
Nationally, men are significantly more likely to die by suicide than women. Research suggests gender differences not just in the outcomes but also in the psychological characteristics leading up to suicide ideation. Effective prevention strategies should take into account these differences.
By Race
Racial disparities in suicide rates are clear from the national data: the rate for whites and American Indians is higher than that for African Americans and Asians/Pacific Islanders.
Other differences manifest between racial groups. For example, nationally, the age ranges with the highest rates of suicide differ greatly for American Indians—peaking in adolescence—than for other race groups.
By Age
Overall, middle-aged adults have the highest suicide rate nationally. Since 1999, the rate has increased for most age groups, though the oldest range has remained relatively constant. (Data for the youngest and oldest age group has been omitted due to lack of data.)
More Information
1. "Suicide Statistics." American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
2. "Gender-differences in risk factors for suicidal behaviour." NIH, 2014.
3. "Racial and Ethnic Disparities." Suicide Prevention Resource Center.
4. "Preventing Suicide: A Technical Package of Policy, Programs, and Practices (pdf)." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017.
About the Data
Mortality data in this story was queried from the CDC Wonder API, based on the following parameters:
• UCD codes: X60-X84, Y87.0.
Note: For small locations and demographic slices, data may not be reported: the CDC suppresses reporting of small death counts for privacy reasons.