Deaths in Wisconsin 2006

Suicide       668

Homicide    194

HIV               51

  • Suicide was the 2nd leading cause of death among people age 15-34 in 2005, following unintentional injuries.  It was third nationally.  Suicide was the tenth most common cause of death in Wisconsin.
  • 10 people under the age of 15 died by suicide in WI in 2000, 9 in 2001, 6 in 2002, and 7 in 2003, 8 in 2004, 9 in 2005, and 6 in 2006.
  • More teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia and influenza, and chronic lung disease, combined.
  • The majority of suicides occurred in the working age population, those ages 18-64 (528 of the 668 suicides).
  • In the month prior to their suicide, 75% of elderly persons had visited a physician.
  • Each suicide death is estimated to affect at least six other person’s family, school, workplace or community. This means over 4008 people were affected by a suicide death in Wisconsin in 2004.  This does not include friends, co-workers and classmates.
  • Suicide attempts are much more common than death by suicide. Attempts are estimated to be about 20 times the number of deaths.
  • Hospitalizations and emergency department visits result in over 59 million dollars in hospital charges.  In 2006 there were 5,112 hospitalizations and 4944 emergency department visits at an approximate cost of $1,000 per visit.
  • Many who make suicide attempts seek professional care immediately after the attempt.
  • Forty-five percent of Wisconsin suicides were by firearm.
Sources: DHFS and CDC
print the fact sheet (.pdf)

 

"Still, the effort seems unhurried. Every seventeen minutes in America someone commits suicide. Where is the public concern and outrage?" Kay Redfield Jamison, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry, the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Mary Doemel, Florence, WI says, "I am involved in suicide prevention because I don’t want another family to feel the pain that we have felt since the loss of our son, Tim.  I don’t want another young woman to go through life without her brother."

 

Symptoms of Clinical Depression in Adults

  • Persistent sad or "empty" mood
  • Feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, guilt, pessimism or worthlessness
  • Substance abuse
  • Fatigue or loss of interest in ordinary activities
  • Disturbances in eating and sleeping patterns
  • Irritability, increased crying, anxiety and panic attacks
  • Difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions
  • Thoughts of suicide; suicide plans or attempts
  • Persistent physical symptoms or pains that do not respond to treatment
  • A person experiencing any of the above symptoms for two or more weeks should see a doctor right away.

    Warning Signs of Suicide in Adults

  • Talking about suicide
  • Statements about hopelessness, helplessness or worthlessness
  • Preoccupation with death
  • Suddenly happier, calmer
  • Unusual visiting or calling people one cares about
  • Making arrangements; setting one’s affairs in order
  • Giving things away
  • Acquiring guns or stockpiling pills
  • Previous suicide attempts
  • A suicidal person urgently needs to see a doctor or a psychiatrist.
  •  

    90% of the people that die by suicide have a treatable mental illness such as depression or a substance abuse disorder or both.

  • CANCER
  • DIABETES
  • HEART DISEASE
  • DEPRESSION
  • ASTHMA
  • What do these illnesses have in common? Left untreated they can be deadly. See your doctor for a depression screening. It could save your life.

     

    Suicide is Preventable

    The stronger and broader the support for a public health initiative, the greater its chance for success. If the general public understands that suicide and suicidal behaviors can be prevented, and people are made aware of the roles individuals and groups can play in prevention, the suicide rate can be reduced.

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Disclaimer: HOPES is not a crisis or counseling service. If you are suicidal, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK (8255), provides access to trained telephone counselors, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The diagnosis and treatment of depression and other psychiatric disorders should be performed by health care professionals. The information on this site is for educational purposes only.