Wisconsin Fact Sheet

Deaths in Wisconsin 2007

Suicide       724

Homicide    199

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.

printer friendly version (.pdf)

Source: 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

"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

A person experiencing any of the following symptoms for two or more weeks should see a doctor right away.

• 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

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.

Depression is Treatable

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.