Idaho Suicide Facts and Statistics

Important Facts

Idaho is consistently among the states with the highest suicide rates. In 2006 (the most recent year available) Idaho had the 10th highest suicide rate, 36% higher than the national average.
In 2007, there were 220 people who completed suicide in Idaho.
In 2007, 85% of suicides were by men.
In 2007, 67% of Idaho suicides involved a firearm. The national averages is 52%.
16.9% of Idaho youth attending traditional high schools reported seriously considering suicide in 2007. 8.4% reported making at least one attempt.
In 2006, there were 33,300 deaths by suicide in the United States, an average of 1 person every 16 minutes.
In 2000, the suicides of those under 25 years of age in Idaho resulted in estimated direct costs of $3.77 million, and lost earnings of $81 million.

Groups at Highest Risk in Idaho

The rate of suicide completion in Idaho is: 14.7 per 100,000 persons (2007)

For Native American young men, age15-17 the rate is 115.8, and for age 18-24 it is 88.1 (1992-2001)
For elderly males, 75 years and over the rate is 81.2 (1999-2001)
For working age males, age 18-64 the rate is 25.8 (1999-2001)
For teenaged males, age 15-17 the rate is 22.5 (1999-2001)

Results of the Idaho Youth Risk Behavior Survey

The "2003 Idaho Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS): A Healthy Look at Idaho Youth" is based on a survey of 1,731 9th through 12th-graders in 36 public high schools across the state in the spring of 2003.

One section of the YRBS reports on Unintentional and Intentional Injuries. It states:
“Suicide is the second leading cause of injury related deaths among youth aged 10 to 18 in Idaho. The leading cause of death is unintentional injury. On the national level, the suicide rate for persons aged 15 to 24 has tripled since 1950. In 2001, 49 Idahoan between the ages of 5 and 24 completed suicide. According to results of the 2003 YRBS, 18% of all high school students seriously considered attempting suicide in the previous year and 15% said they made a plan for how they would attempt suicide. Among all Idaho students, 9% report having actually attempted suicide during the previous year. Suicide ideation appears to occur more often among high school students.”

One in four high school students reported that in the previous 12 months they felt so sad or hopeless almost every day for two weeks or more that they stopped doing some usual activities.
9th grade females (23%) were nearly twice as likely as 9th grade males (13%) to have seriously considered attempting suicide in the previous 12 months.
During the previous year 15% of high school students reported having actually made a plan about how they would attempt suicide.
11% of high school females and 6% of high school males have attempted suicide one or more times during the previous 12 months.

For the latest data on suicide in Idaho, download the Suicide in Idaho Fact Sheet.

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