Why is suicide a public health problem? -- How does suicide affect health? -- Who is at risk for suicide? -- How can we prevent suicide? -- How does CDC approach prevention? -- Where can I learn more? – References.

Suicide is when people direct violence at themselves with the intent to end their lives, and they die as a result of their actions. Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States.

A suicide attempt is when people harm themselves with the intent to end their lives, but they do not die as a result of their actions. Many more people survive suicide attempts than die, but they often have serious injuries. However, a suicide attempt does not always result in a physical injury.

To learn more about suicide and other self-directed violence, please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/suicide.html

suicide_factsheet-a

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Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library collection