Suicide is a major and growing public health concern in the United States, ranking among the top 10 leading causes of death. From 2001 to 2017, the suicide rate increased 31 percent, from 10.7 to 14.0 per 100,000 population. In 2017, this equated to more than 47,000 deaths. Suicide is preventable. Suicidal thoughts or actions are indications of extreme distress and require immediate intervention. Emergency departments (EDs) are an important site of care to identify individuals at risk, to provide timely support and intervention, and, in some cases, to facilitate entry into more intensive treatment. Information on trends in ED utilization related to suicidal ideation or suicide attempt can help inform resource needs and target prevention efforts.
