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Abstract
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From 2008 to 2017, the rate of emergency department (ED) visits related to suicidal ideation or suicide attempt increased among all age groups 5 years or older, according to a recent report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
Suicide, which ranks among the top 10 US causes of death, is a growing US public health problem, the report noted. The suicide rate in 2017 was 14 per 100 000 population, representing more than 47 000 deaths.
AHRQ's report used the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's Nationwide Emergency Department Sample to assess trends in the population rate of ED visits linked to suicidal ideation or suicide attempt.
From 2008 to 2017, the rate was higher among people aged 15 to 44 years than it was among 5- to 9-year-old children and adults aged 65 years or older. In 2017, when 1.5 million ED visits involved a suicidal ideation or suicide attempt diagnosis, the rate was highest among those aged 15 to 19 years (952.5 per 100 000 population) and second highest among those aged 20 to 24 years (719.3 per 100 000).
In 2017, individuals younger than 25 years accounted for nearly a third of ED visits related to suicidal ideation or suicide attempt. But they comprised fewer than a fourth of all other ED visits.
Overall, males were more likely than females to present to an ED because of suicidal ideation or a suicide attempt, although females aged 10 to 19 years had higher rates of ED visits for suicidal ideation or suicide attempt, with the highest rate of such visits among females aged 15 to 19 years (1196.9 per 100 000 population)...
Language: en |