Suicide among South Asians in the United States: Perspectives, Causes, and Implications for Prevention and Treatment

Abstract

Suicide and suicide related behaviors have been a global phenomenon. Suicide is a major social problem with more than one million deaths and 25 million attempted suicides [1] and 140 million who reported ideation [2]. Specifically in the US, it is the tenth leading cause of death with a staggering 47,173 Americans who committed suicide and 1,400,000 who attempted suicide. Nearly 575,000 Americans visited a hospital with self-inflicted injuries [3]. Astonishingly, the number of suicidal deaths is greater than the total number of deaths from homicide, AIDS, car accidents combined [4]. The cost of suicide and self-injury was over $ 70 billion in medical as well as work loss expenses in the United States [5]. The highest suicide rate (20.2) percent is prevalent among middle-aged adults in the age group of 45 to 54 years old; followed by older adults 85 years of age and older with (20.1) percent. Among young adults and adolescents in 15-24 years, it was 14.46 percent in 2017. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention [6], suicide rates were 6.59% among Asian & Pacific Islanders, 6.61% among African Americans and 13.42% among American Indians and Alaskan natives in 2019. It was highest (15.85%) among the Caucasian population. White males account for nearly 70 percent of all suicides occurred in the United States though females make twice the number of suicidal attempts. Firearms was the number one means used since 50.57 percent of those who committed suicide used this method [7].