Am J Prev Med

BackgroundRecently, suicide exceeded motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of injury death in the U.S. However, details of this change in suicide methods and its relationship to individual demographics such as age, and societal influences, have not been reported.PurposeTo determine the characteristics of the changes in suicide rates between 2000 and 2010.MethodsData came from CDC\u2019s Web-Based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS\u2122). Line charts were plotted to reveal changes in suicide rates by firearm, poisoning, and hanging/suffocation (ICD-10 codes: X72\u2013X74, X60\u2013X69, and X70). The measure of change used is the percentage change in suicide rate between 2000 and 2010.ResultsThe overall suicide rate increased from 10.4 to 12.1 per 100,000 population between 2000 and 2010, a 16% increase. The majority of the increase was attributable to suicide by hanging/suffocation (52%) and by poisoning (19%). Subgroup analysis showed: (1) suicide by hanging/suffocation increased by 104% among those aged 45\u201359 years androse steadily in all age groups except those aged 6570 years; (2) the largest increase in suicide by poisoning (85%) occurred among those aged 60\u201369 years; and (3) suicide by firearm decreased by 24% among those aged 15\u201324 years but increased by 22% among those aged 45\u201359 years. The case fatality rates for suicide by hanging/suffocation during 2000\u20132010 ranged from 69% to 84%, close to those for suicide by firearm. Analyses were conducted in 2012.ConclusionsSubstantial increases in suicide by hanging/suffocation and poisoning merit attention from policymakers and call for innovations and changes in suicide prevention approaches.20132014-02-01T00:00:00ZR21 MH090480/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United StatesR49 CE001507/CE/NCIPC CDC HHS/United StatesR21MH090480/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States5R49CE001507/CE/NCIPC CDC HHS/United States23332330PMC35534951060