Part 4 : Depression and suicide in America

8) Suicide rates are much higher among white and American Indian people

While depression rates are much higher for American Indians and Alaska natives and significantly lower among Asian Americans, they don't differ much between white people, African Americans, and Latino/as. Suicide rates, however, do differ significantly, and are nearly three times higher among white people:

(American Foundation for Suicide Prevention)

9) Most suicides are committed with guns

While the share is falling, in 2010 50.5 percent of suicides were committed using a firearm:

Click to enlarge the graph.

Much of this seems to result from the fact that suicide attempts with guns are likelier to result in death. The CDC found that in 2001, 85 percent of suicide attempts involving guns resulted in death, significantly above other methods. A study looking at hospital admissions for suicides and suicide attempts in Illinois found that 96 percent of firearm cases resulted in death, while only 6.7 percent of cases involving cuts and 6.5 percent of cases involving poisoning did.

There is significant evidence that reducing access to guns, and their pervasiveness, can reduce suicide rates.