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Suicide is a complex issue involving numerous factors and should not be attributed to any one single cause. Not all people who die by suicide have been diagnosed with a mental illness and not all people with a mental illness attempt to end their lives by suicide. One way to understanding suicide is:
“Suicide is an attempt to solve a problem of intense emotional pain, using impaired problem solving skills”. (Kalafat and Underwood, 1989)
People who experience suicidal thoughts and feelings are suffering from tremendous emotional pain. Those who consider suicide feel as though their pain will never end, and that suicide is the only way to stop the suffering. People who have died by suicide often have overwhelming feelings of hopelessness, despair, and helplessness prior to their death. Having thoughts of suicide and/or engaging in suicide behaviours is not a moral weakness or character flaw.
Suicide can be prevented, and everyone has a role to play. Learning more about mental health and suicide prevention, becoming aware of the risk factors, protective factors, and warning signs, as well as understanding options for professional and community-based mental health support, are some of the ways that we can support those at risk and help build a safer community.
Below is more information on Canadian statistics, as well as the suicide prevention continuum.
For information of risk factors, protective factors, and warning signs for suicide, visit: Risk Factors, Protective Factors, and Warning Signs for Suicide
Collecting and reporting statistics on suicide can be difficult. Some of the challenges in data collection include:
According to Statistics Canada, around 4000 Canadians die by suicide each year; that is about 11 deaths by suicide each day.
(Source: Leading causes of death, total population, by age group (statcan.gc.ca)
Suicide is one of the leading causes of premature death in Canada, and is the 2nd leading cause of death among youth aged 15 to 24.