If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, please call one of the 24-hour crisis hotline numbers below right away:

  • Samaritans Statewide Hotline: 1-877-870-HOPE (4673)
  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255); Press # 1 if you are a Veteran
  • The Trevor Helpline: 866-4-U-TREVOR (488-7386) - Specifically for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender youth and young adults

Suicide is a significant and preventable public health issue. On average, there are two to three times as many suicides in the Commonwealth as homicides. In 2007, the latest year for which mortality data are available, there were 504 recorded suicides among Massachusetts residents. In comparison, there were 183 homicides in that same year. The impact of suicide is enormous: it is estimated, very conservatively, that for every suicide completion there are six loved ones who are left behind to experience the particularly complicated grief that comes from losing someone to suicide.

In this chapter

Scope of the Problem in Massachusetts - Gender and Age - Racial / Ethnic Differences - Suicide and Mental Illness - Young People and Suicide - Geographic Differences - Suicide Prevention Strategies - Policy Perspective: Policy Goals for Suicide Prevention by Ellen Connorton, ScD, MSW, MPH, Founder, Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention

List of figures and tables

Download these figures in .jpeg format to use in your own presentations.

This information is provided by the Department of Public Health.