Help Stop Suicide 
Suicide is permanent and usually preventable.

Even so, each year Kentucky loses over 600 people to suicide. To help reduce these deaths, the Kentucky Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities (BH/DID) invited various community leaders to establish the Kentucky Suicide Prevention Group in 2002, to help decrease suicide deaths and attempts across the Commonwealth through advocacy, education, training and evaluation.

However, we need all Kentuckians to become active in the reduction of suicide attempts and deaths in the Commonwealth. Suicide is a serious public health issue. Take a look at these statistics:

• Kentucky loses three times as many citizens to suicide 
  as to homicide.
• There are an average of 5.7 suicide attempts everyday in Kentucky.
• Kentucky’s suicide death rate in 2009 was the 23rd highest in the nation (down from 10th in 2007).
• Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for Kentuckians 
  15 to 34 years old.
• Suicide is the 4th leading cause of death for 35 to 44 year olds.
• Our elderly have a higher suicide rate than the national average.
• Firearms caused 62 percent of suicide deaths in Kentucky.
• 2,088 suicide attempts were serious enough to warrant admission to a hospital in Kentucky during 2006.
• Suicide is a leading cause of death for Kentuckians. 
  Yet suicide is one of the most preventable forms of death. 
• 64% of Kentuckians know at least one person 
  who has attempted or died by suicide. 
• 33.8% consider themselves to be a suicide survivor 
  (who has lost a loved one or close friend to suicide).
• Experts believe most suicidal people don’t want to die, they just want to end their pain. When suicidal behaviors are detected early, lives can be saved.

Suicidal behavior is complex and frightening. But, help is available and there are often warning signs. That means together we can reduce this act that devastates so many if we are educated and pay close attention to each other.