Latest Data
Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going
Between 1999 and 2008, the suicide rate increased from 10.5 per 100,000 population (age adjusted) to 11.6. Females and married persons had lower suicide rates when compared with males and other marital status groups, respectively. In 2010, 8.0% of adolescents aged 12 to 17 years reported having had a major depressive episode in the past 12 months. The rate for female adolescents was more than two and a half times that for male adolescents.
Leading Health Indicators
Explore the latest data and disparities for each indicator.
Suicides (MHMD-1)
Adolescents who experience major depressive episode (MHMD-4.1)
Suicides (MHMD-1)
- Healthy People 2020 objective MHMD-1 tracks the suicide rate for the total population.
- HP2020 Baseline: 11.3 suicides per 100,000 population (age adjusted) occurred in 2007.
- HP2020 Target: 10.2 suicides per 100,000 population (age adjusted), a 10 percent improvement over the baseline.
- The suicide rate increased by 10.5% between 1999 and 2008, from 10.5 to 11.6 per 100,000 population (age adjusted). Disparities were observed for a number of population groups in 2008:
- Females had a lower suicide rate (4.8 per 100,000 population, age adjusted) than males (18.9 per 100,000 population, age adjusted). The rate for males was nearly four times the rate for females in 2008.
Suicide Rate by Sex, 2008
SOURCE: National Vital Statistics System-Mortality (NVSS-M), CDC, NCHS.
- Among racial and ethnic groups, the black non-Hispanic population had the lowest suicide rate, 5.4 per 100,000 population (age adjusted). The rates for the American Indian or Alaska Native and the white non-Hispanic populations were 11.7 and 14.1 per 100,000 (age adjusted), respectively. The rates for American Indian or Alaska Native and the white non-Hispanic populations were more than twice as high and more than two and a half times as high as the best group, respectively.
- Persons born outside the U.S. had a lower rate of suicide (6.6 per 100,000 population, age adjusted) than persons born in the U.S. (12.2 per 100,000 population, age adjusted). The rate for persons born in the U.S. was nearly twice as high as the rate for persons born outside the U.S.
- Among persons aged 25 years and older, married persons had the lowest rate of suicide (10.1 per 100,000 population, age adjusted) among groups by marital status. Rates were 33.3, 26.5, and 23.9 per 100,000 population (age adjusted) for divorced, widowed and never married persons, respectively. Rates for divorced, widowed and never married persons were almost three and a half times, more than two and a half times, and almost two and a half times the rate for married persons, respectively.
- Persons living in metropolitan areas had a lower suicide rate (11.0 per 100,000 population, age adjusted) than persons living in non-metropolitan areas (14.5 per 100,000 population, age adjusted). The rate for persons in metropolitan areas was almost one and a half times higher than the rate for persons in non-metropolitan areas.
Endnotes:
- All disparities described are statistically significant at the 0.05 level of significance.
- Data (except those by marital status, country of birth, and age group) are age adjusted to the 2000 standard population using the age groups <1, 1-4, 5-14, 15-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74, 75-84, and 85+. Data by marital status are adjusted using the age groups 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74, 75-84, and 85+. Data by country of birth are adjusted using the age groups <5, 5-17, 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74, and 75+. Data by age group are not age adjusted. Age-adjusted rates are weighted sums of age-specific rates.
- Data are available annually from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS—M), CDC, NCHS.
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Adolescents who experience major depressive episode (MHMD-4.1)
- Healthy People 2020 objective MHMD-4.1 tracks the proportion of adolescents aged 12 to 17 years who experience major depressive episode (MDE).
- HP2020 Baseline: In 2008, 8.3 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 17 years reported having a major depressive episode in the past 12 months.
- HP2020 Target: 7.5 percent, a 10 percent improvement over the baseline.
- Disparities were observed for a number of population groups in 2010:
- Males had a lower proportion of adolescents who reported having a MDE in the past 12 months, 4.4% compared to females, 11.9%. The rate for females was more than two and a half times that for males in 2010.
Major Depressive Episode by Sex, 2010
SOURCE: National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), SAMHSA.
- Asian adolescents reported having the lowest proportion of MDE in the past 12 months, 5.5%, compared to 8.6% for white non-Hispanic adolescents and 9.5% for multiple race adolescents. The rate for white non-Hispanics and multiple race adolescents was more than one and a half times that for Asians.
- Among age groups, adolescents 12-13 years old reported having the lowest proportion of MDE in the past 12 months, 4.3%, compared to 9.0% among 14-15 year olds and 10.6% among 16-17 year olds. Rates for 14-15 year olds and 16-17 year olds were more than twice as high and about two and a half times as high as the rate for 12-13 year olds, respectively.
Endnotes:
- All disparities described are statistically significant at the 0.05 level of significance.
- Data are available annually from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), SAMHSA.
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