Women's Health USA 2003

MENTAL ILLNESS AND SUICIDE

Serious mental illness¹ disproportionately affects women. In 2001, females in all adult age groups were much more likely than males to report serious mental illness in the year prior to the survey. Among those aged 26-49, women were nearly twice as likely as men to have experienced serious mental illness within the past 12 months.

Although the majority of people who suffer from a mental illness do not commit suicide, having a mental illness may increase the likelihood of attempting or committing suicide. People with conditions such as major depression, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, and personality disorders are at a greater risk for suicide. Furthermore, people who die by suicide are frequently suffering from undiagnosed, undertreated, or untreated depression.² In 2000, non-Hispanic White and American Indian/Alaska Native women had especially high rates of suicide at 4.7 and 4.6 suicide deaths per 100,000 females, respectively, as compared to 3.0 for Asian/Pacific Islander, 1.8 for Hispanic, and 1.8 for Black females.

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¹The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse defines Serious Mental Illness (SMI) as "having a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder that met the DSM-IV criteria and resulted in functional impairment that substantially interfered with or limited one or more major life activities." [Back]

²Department of Health and Human Services. National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. A Collaborative Effort of SAMHSA, CDC, NIH, HRSA, and IHS. http://www.mentalhealth.org/suicideprevention/suicidefacts.asp [Back]