Wisconsin Fact Sheet

Male Suicides

   15-24         65    2^nd leading cause of death

    25-44        212   2^nd leading cause of death

    45-64        229   4^th leading cause of death 
 

Female Suicides

  15-24          17     2^nd leading cause of death  

  25-44          51     4^th leading cause of death

  45-64          73     7^th leading cause of death

Dane County Deaths

Suicide      50

Motor Vehicle    31

Homicide        10 
 

Columbia County Deaths

Motor Vehicle   12

Suicide               7

Homicide           1 
 

Rock County Deaths

Motor Vehicle     20

Suicide                15

Homicide             6 
 

Jefferson County Deaths

Suicide                    14

Motor Vehicle         14 
 
 
Adams County Deaths

Motor Vehicle     6

Suicide                3 

In 2006:

• Suicide was the tenth most common cause of death in Wisconsin.

• Among those ages 18-40 years, suicide was the second most common cause of death, following unintentional injuries.

• Six children less than 14 years of age died by suicide.

• The majority of suicides occurred in the working age population, those age 18-64 years.

• Each suicide death was estimated to affect the life of six other people. This means nearly 4,000 Wisconsin residents were affected by a loved one’s suicide.

• There were 5,277 hospitalizations and 4,143 emergency department visits due to self-harm. Many who make suicide attempts never seek professional care immediately after the attempt.

• These hospitalizations and emergency department visits resulted in over $64 million dollars in hospital charges.

• Forty-five percent of suicides were by firearm.

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Sources: Wisconsin Death Report 2008, Wisconsin Health Department; Wisconsin Interactive Statistics on Health (WISH): Violent Death, Mortality, Injury-related Hospitalizations, and Injury-related Emergency Department Visits modules. Please visit: www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/wish

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.