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An Overview of Suicide

Suicide and crisis · 7 min read · First published 2005 · Updated November 2026

A wooden bench on a green hill beneath a large tree and a cloudy blue sky
Photo by Noah Silliman on Unsplash

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, U.S.). Veterans: dial 988 and press 1. Outside the U.S., find a local line at findahelpline.com. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.

Suicide touches far more families than most people realize. It affects people of every age, background and faith, from young people to older adults. It is a hard subject to talk about, and that silence can make it harder for people who are struggling to ask for help, and for families who have lost someone to find support.

In the United States, 48,824 people died by suicide in 2024, according to the CDC. That is more than twice the number of people who died by homicide that year (20,162). Suicide was the 10th leading cause of death in the country. The age-adjusted rate dipped slightly, from 14.1 per 100,000 people in 2023 to 13.7 in 2024. Men die by suicide at nearly four times the rate of women, and rates are highest among older men, especially those 75 and older.

Far more people live through thoughts of suicide than die by it. In 2024, an estimated 14.3 million U.S. adults seriously thought about suicide, and about 2.2 million made an attempt. Behind each of those numbers is a person who can be reached, and help works.

Suicide has often been met with judgment, and in the past some communities denied people who died by suicide a funeral or a place in the family cemetery. Families left behind often blamed themselves, thinking they were somehow responsible. When a death is looked down on like this, it becomes something to hide, and grieving families can be left alone with their pain.

Many faith traditions teach that life is a sacred gift, and many have also thought deeply and with compassion about people who die by suicide and the families they leave. Here is a brief look at a few traditions. Teaching and practice vary within each one, so a family's own faith leader is the best guide.

  • Catholic Christianity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that we are stewards, not owners, of the life God gives us, and that suicide goes against that gift. It also teaches that grave psychological distress, anguish or fear can lessen a person's responsibility, and that the Church does not give up hope for the salvation of people who have taken their own lives. The Church prays for them.
  • Other Christian churches. Teaching and pastoral practice differ from church to church.
  • Judaism. Jewish law has traditionally forbidden suicide, but it defines suicide very narrowly, as an act done knowingly and with a sound mind. Many rabbis today hold that a person living with severe depression or another serious mental illness was not acting with a sound mind. In most cases today, a person who died by suicide can be buried in a Jewish cemetery with traditional rites.
  • Islam. Islamic teaching forbids suicide and considers it a grave sin, but the person who died is still a Muslim. Washing and shrouding the body, the funeral prayer and burial in a Muslim cemetery are all carried out as for any other Muslim.
  • Hinduism. Scholars describe a complex picture. Beliefs in karma and rebirth lead many Hindus to see suicide as something that does not end suffering, and faith can be a source of strength in hard times.
  • Buddhism. Many Buddhist teachers understand suicide as going against the first precept, not to take life, and not as a way out of suffering.

Across many traditions, faith and community can also protect people. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention lists cultural and religious beliefs that encourage connection and reaching out for help as one of the things that lower risk.

What we understand today

There is no single cause of suicide. It most often happens when several stresses and health problems come together and leave a person feeling hopeless. Things that can raise risk include:

  • Mental health conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety or substance use problems
  • Serious physical illness or chronic pain
  • A past suicide attempt, or a family history of suicide
  • Stressful events such as a loss, divorce, money trouble, bullying or losing a job
  • Easy access to lethal means, such as firearms

Things that can protect people include feeling connected to family and community, access to mental health care, problem-solving and coping skills, and limited access to lethal means.

Most people who die by suicide show some warning signs first. Learning them can help you reach out in time. 7 Signs Someone May Be Suicidal

Help and treatment work

Suicide can be prevented. Talk therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) help people cope with suicidal thoughts and lower the risk of attempts. Simple steps also make a real difference: a written safety plan, staying in touch after a crisis, and storing firearms and medications safely. Asking someone directly whether they are thinking about suicide does not raise their risk.

Recovery is common. Nine out of ten people who survive a suicide attempt do not go on to die by suicide later. A suicidal crisis can feel endless, but with support and time, many people find their way to a life they want to live.

When you have lost someone to suicide

If someone you love died by suicide, you are not alone. People who have lost someone this way are often called suicide loss survivors. Your grief may come with shock, guilt, anger and a long search for answers. Asking "Why?" over and over is very common. Be patient with yourself. A suicide is never caused by one thing, and it is not your fault.

Support is out there. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention offers Healing Conversations, one-on-one support from volunteers who have also lost someone to suicide, and keeps a list of support groups for loss survivors in the U.S. and beyond. Each year it also holds International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day, when survivors around the world gather for connection and hope. Grief after suicide can bring its own risks, so if your own pain ever feels too heavy, call or text 988.

When you talk about the person you lost, it is kind to say they "died by suicide" rather than "committed suicide." The word "committed" carries a sense of crime or sin, and many families find "died by suicide" kinder and more accurate.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, U.S.). Veterans: dial 988 and press 1. Outside the U.S., find a local line at findahelpline.com. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.

Sources

Written by Words to Comfort

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