Data on Suicide in Indiana
This section of the report consists of a number of charts and graphs to provide a better understanding of the demographic characteristics and dimensions of suicide. The majority of this data comes from years 1999 to 2000. The model used for presentation of suicide-related data is from "Suicide in Indiana, 1996-1999”, a report published by Dr. Charlene Graves, Medical Director for Injury Prevention at the Indiana State Dept of Health (ISDH) and Dr. Xun Shen, Epidemiologist for ISDH and the Indiana Partnership to Prevent Firearm Violence.
Table 1: Comparison of Suicide Rates During 1999-2000.
|
Indiana |
Unites States |
Northeast |
South |
West |
Midwest | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Age in years |
Deaths |
Crude Rate |
Deaths |
Crude Rate |
Deaths |
Crude Rate |
Deaths |
Crude Rate |
Deaths |
Crude Rate |
Deaths |
Crude Rate |
|
10-24 |
215 |
8.4 |
8,437 |
7.3 |
1,121 |
5.54 |
3,155 |
7.68 |
2,068 |
7.68 |
2,093 |
7.66 |
|
25-64 |
882 |
14.2 |
39,285 |
13.77 |
5,819 |
10.55 |
15,231 |
15.06 |
9,703 |
15.25 |
8,532 |
13.03 |
|
65+ |
214 |
14.39 |
10,818 |
15.61 |
1,452 |
9.9 |
4,225 |
17.34 |
2,908 |
20.97 |
2,233 |
13.61 |
Rates are per 100,000 Population.
(Source: CDC, WISQUARS)
Compared to the national average, suicide rates in Indiana are higher for all age groups, except for Senior citizens. Hoosiers age 10-24 commit suicide more often when compared to10-24 year olds in the United States and all regions of the U.S. (Table 1).
Figure 1: From 1999-2000, suicide ranked as the 2nd leading cause of injury death among Hoosiers.
(Source: CDC, WISQARS)
Figure 2: From 1999-2000, there is a 16.6 ratio of Whites to Blacks.
(Source: CDC, WISQARS)
Figure 3: From 1999-2001, there is a 16.8 ratio of White males to Black males.
(Source: CDC, WISQUARS and 2001 Indiana Mortality Report)
*Data includes number of deaths from 1999-2000 (WISQARS) and the 2001 Indiana Mortality Report. See Appendix A for reference table.
Figure 5: From 1999-2000, there is a higher rate of suicides among Black males age 20-24 years.
(Source: CDC, WISQARS)
In 2000, Indiana’s census population was 6,080,485, forty-nine percent (2,982,474) males and 51% (3,098,011) females. Population estimates by race were predominant for Whites who represented 87.5% of the population followed by Blacks/African Americans representing 8.4% of the population.
From the period of 1990-2000, suicide death rates for male Hoosiers are approximately four to six times higher than that for females. Beginning in 1999, there has been a slight decrease in the number of suicide-related deaths (Figure 6).
Figure 6: Higher mortality rates for males versus females are demonstrated.
(Source: CDC, WISQARS)
White males commit suicide using a firearm at a rate of 12.3 per 100,000 population followed by black males at a rate of 9.25 per 100,000 population. From 1999-2000, sixty percent of suicides were committed using a firearm (Figure 7).
Figure 7: Sixty percent of suicides were committed using a firearm.
(Source: CDC, WISQARS)
