Indicator 1: Suicide Rate
It is important that suicidal indicators are taken seriously and professional mental health assistance is sought because three quarters of all people who complete suicide give some warning of their intentions to a friend or family member (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, 2000). Surgeon General Satcher emphasizes that "we must remember that prevention begins at home, and the work of suicide prevention must be done at the community level" (Satcher, D., 1999, July 28).
National Target: 6.0 suicide deaths per 100,000 population.
National Baseline: 10.8 suicide deaths per 100,000 population in 1998 (preliminary data; age adjusted to the year 2000 standard population).
Data Source: National Vital Statistics System (NVSS), CDC, NCHS.
- Between 1989 and 1998 the average rate for suicides in Travis County was 12.2 per 100,000.
- Travis County's rate is more than double the national target. Ø In 1998, the Travis County suicide rate was 11.4 per 100,000.
- The 1998 rate is .8 under the baseline for 1989-1998 and 5.4 over the national target.
- The 1998 suicide rate for the entire state of Texas is 10.8. Travis County suicide rate is .6 over the state's rate.
Suicide is the deliberate taking of one's own life. Although suicide and attempted suicide are frequently associated with mental illness, it is not a psychiatric diagnosis. Suicide occurrence is not restricted to persons with chronic terminal illness or mental illness. Suicide has many causes and complex dynamics. It is rarely the consequence of a single factor or event. This fact holds true even though a precipitating event may seem very apparent to an observer.
Nationwide approximately 31,000 people (60%) die each year from suicide, compared with 21,000 people (40%) who die from homicides (Phan, 1999). In 1998, suicides were listed as the 8th leading cause of death in Travis County. Travis County data (see Figure 7-5) reflects an increase over the national data with 81 (66%) deaths from suicide, compared with 41 (34%) deaths from homicide (Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department Planning and Epidemiology Unit, 2000). This reflects the serious public health issue related to suicides. Suicides are often characterized as a response to a single event or set of circumstances. However, unlike these popular conceptions, suicide is a much more involved phenomenon. The factors that contribute to any particular suicide are diverse and complex, so efforts to understand it must incorporate many approaches. The clinical, neurobiological, legal and psychosocial aspects of suicide are some of the major lines of inquiry into suicide.
Often suicides are considered to be a phenomenon that occurs during the holiday season (November - January). However, this is not true. In fact, an analysis (see Figure 7-6) of the rates between 1989 and 1991 indicate that rates appear highest in April, June and July.
Suicide can be prevented. While some suicides occur without any outward warning, most do not. The most effective way to prevent suicide is to learn how to recognize the signs of someone at risk, take those signs seriously and know how to respond to them. The depression and emotional crises that so often precede suicide are -- in most cases -- both recognizable and treatable. Suicide danger signals include: previous suicide attempts, talking about death or suicide, planning for suicide, and depression.
Health Partnership 2010 (1998) produced a suicide report that states, "On the surface, suicide appears to be a personal matter; a tragic outcome restricted to an individual. However, within a community, suicide is a symptom of societal pressures and its measure is one indicator of mental health within a population. Furthermore, the lingering effects of someone taking their life can devastate the lives of people who knew the 'victim'. For these reasons, suicide must be seen as a public health issue."
"We must remember that prevention begins at home, and the work of suicide prevention must be done at the community level."
Surgeon General Satcher
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Table 7-12: Suicide Data in Travis County
- In 1998 there was 80 reported suicides
- In 1998, the Travis County death rate for males was 18.3 per 100,000
- In 1998, the Travis County death rate for females was 4.5 per 100,000
- In 1999, the Travis County adult suicide rate for persons receiving Psychiatric Emergency Services within 48 hours was .08% (2 suicides out of 2,579 served) up from .04% in 1998 (1 suicide out of 2,246)
Risk Factors
 Male gender |
Prior suicide attempts |
| Mental disorders and substance abuse |
Barriers to access services |
| Stigma |
Stressful life event/loss |
| Easy access to lethal methods |
Social isolation |
| Chronic illness |
Family history |
| Child abuse |
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Protective Factors
| Effective and appropriate clinical care for underlying disorders |
Support from family, community, and health and mental health care staff |
| Easy access to care |
Community Education |
Source: USDHHS, 1999 and Call to Action to Prevent Suicide, EPIGRAM TX, American Foundation for the Prevention of Suicides, and Austin Travis County Mental Health Mental Retardation Center
