Who Dies By Suicide?

A closer look at suicide risk across age, gender, and occupation

Suicide affects people across all age groups. It does not discriminate against social, ethnic or religious groups. However, people in certain demographic groups are more prone to die by suicide than those in other demographic groups. According to the American Association of Suicidology, white males account for 72 percent of all suicides. Ninety percent of all deaths by suicide are among white males and white females. By contrast, the suicide rate for African-Americans is about half that of Caucasians.

According to the American Association of Suicidology, men, particularly middle-aged men, experience suicide at a rate over three times higher than the rate among women. Meanwhile, the suicide rates among Black and Asian or Pacific Islander people have increased dramatically, by 30 percent between 2014 and 2019.

Older or adolescent white males are generally at higher risk, as are patients with a history of attempted suicide and those suffering from depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, drug dependency or abuse disorders, and schizophrenia.

Suicide rates by gender

Gender is one of the most significant factors in suicide risk, and the gap between male and female rates is striking. While females are more likely to report suicidal thoughts and to attempt suicide, males are significantly more likely to die by suicide, a difference that researchers attribute in part to the methods typically used and the lower likelihood that men will seek mental health treatment before a crisis escalates.

That doesn’t mean women are at low risk. From 2002 to 2022, suicide rates for females increased for all age groups. The picture for women has been moving in the wrong direction for two decades, and the assumption that suicide is primarily a male problem has left many women without the recognition and intervention their situation required, according to the CDC.

Young people who are bullied at risk

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, young people who are threatened with or experience physical violence, or who are injured by peers, report more suicidal thoughts and behavior than young people who are not victimized.

It’s important for parents and teachers to monitor young people for severe mood swings, depression, anxiety, or alcohol and drug abuse, all of which may be suicidal signs. Friends can be especially helpful in assessing a young person’s mood, since the person probably shares more with them than with parents or teachers.

Professions with the highest suicide rate

Occupation is a meaningful but often overlooked factor in suicide risk. According to CDC research on suicide rates by industry and occupation, certain occupational groups consistently show elevated suicide rates compared to the general population. Among males, the occupations associated with the highest risk include construction and extraction, farming, fishing and forestry, installation and maintenance and repair, mining, and arts, entertainment and media. Among females, arts, entertainment and media and personal care and service occupations carry some of the highest rates.

The factors that contribute to elevated risk in these fields include job-related isolation, physically demanding and high-stress work environments, work-home imbalance, economic instability, and in many cases a workplace culture that discourages seeking mental health treatment. Access to lethal means is also a contributing factor in some occupations.

Understanding occupational risk matters because it shapes both prevention efforts and the clinical picture a mental health provider should be assessing. A provider who fails to account for a patient’s occupational background when evaluating suicide risk may be missing a meaningful piece of that picture, and that omission can become relevant when questions about the standard of care arise.

When risk goes unrecognized

The demographic patterns described here represent a starting point, not a complete picture. Suicide risk is shaped by a combination of individual, clinical, and environmental factors that no single variable can capture. What the data makes clear is that certain populations carry a heightened burden of risk, and that recognizing that risk, whether in a family member, a colleague, or a patient under clinical care, is the first step toward preventing a tragedy.

When a mental health provider or hospital fails to recognize or respond to suicide risk in a patient they were responsible for treating, the consequences can be devastating and, in many cases, legally actionable.

How Skip Simpson can help

The suicide of a single person can have a lasting impact on a wide circle of friends, families and communities. If someone in your family or a loved one recently died by suicide, contact a lawyer who cares. Contact the Law Offices of Skip Simpson. Your consultation is free and confidential. Call 214-618-8222 to see how we can help.