INJURY AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION (IVP) BRANCH

Suicide Prevention

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Office of Suicide Prevention Year 1 Highlights Brief, 2022 (PDF)
California Suicide and Self Harm Trends in 2020 (PDF, 1.25MB) \| Updated 2/21/2021
PowerPoint: Suicide and Self-Harm Emergency Department Visit Trends in California (PDF) \| Updated 2/21/2021
Fact Sheet: Suicide in California, 2019 (PDF)
Infographic: Suicide in California, 2019 (PDF)
Older Adult Suicide in California, 2018 (PDF)
Injury Data Brief: Suicide Death among Veterans in California, 2019 (PDF)

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CalHHS Mental Health Resources for Youth

Suicide is a major public health concern in California that can have both immediate and long-term impacts on individuals, families, and entire communities. Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control and the California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission’s “Striving for Zero: California’s Strategic Plan for Suicide Prevention 2020—2025 (PDF, 4MB)” define suicide as a public health issue and a self-directed injurious form of violence.

Suicide is a leading cause of death

Suicide is death caused by injuring oneself with the intent to die. A suicide attempt is when someone harms themselves with any intent to end their life, but they do not die as a result of their actions.

Many factors can increase the risk for suicide or protect against it. Suicide is connected to other forms of injury and violence. For example, people who have experienced violence, including child abuse, bullying, or sexual violence have a higher suicide risk. Being connected to family and community support and having easy access to health care can decrease suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

PDF Icon Self-Directed Violence Surveillance (PDF, 1.35MB)

PDF Icon Preventing Multiple Forms of Violence (PDF)

What is the Public Health Role in Suicide Prevention?

Public health recognizes that violence, including suicide, is preventable and takes a primary prevention approach, working "upstream" to address underlying causes to prevent violence from happening in the first place. Both the California Departments of Public’s Health (CDPH) Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Program (CSP) and Office of Suicide Prevention (OSP) use a public health approach to prevent suicides by partnering across multiple sectors, supporting and coordinating state and local suicide prevention activities, and providing data and technical assistance to support community-based prevention programs.

Public Health Role in Suicide Prevention