%0 Journal Article
%T Incidence of suicidal ideation and behavior in the United States, 1994
%J Suicide and life-threatening behavior
%D 1999
%A Sacks, Jeffrey J.
%A Cheltenham, MP
%A Crosby, Alexander E.
%V 29
%N 2
%P 131-140
%X Completed suicides reflect only a portion of the impact of suicidal behavior; sublethal behaviors cause morbidity and can signal treatable problems such as depression. There is no national quantification of nonlethal suicidal behaviors. The present study used a random-digit-dialed telephone survey to estimate the 12-month incidence of suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts among U.S. adults. Of 5,238 respondents, 5.6% (representing about 10.5 million persons) reported suicidal ideation, 2.7% (about 2.7 million) made a specific suicide plan, and 0.7% (about 700,000) made a suicide attempt (estimate = 1.1 million attempts). Hence, suicidal behaviors are not uncommon and occur along a continuum ranging from ideation to completed suicides. Preventing nonlethal precursor behaviors may prevent deaths.
%G 
%I John Wiley and Sons
%@ 0363-0234
%U http://dx.doi.org/